


Constant Variable (Senku x Reader)

by Rainbend



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Manga & Anime, Romance, Science
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 89,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22740493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbend/pseuds/Rainbend
Summary: Variableadjective | not consistent or having a fixed pattern; liable to change.In a science experiment, there are three kinds of variables: independent, dependent and controlled. This is one of the first things about science that Senku learns as a kid and has followed that rule until he meets (Full Name) who changes that one rule.She shows him there is a fourth kind of variable: constant. To Senku, science is never about consistency as things are always evolving and changing, yet that doesn't apply to (Name) and he can never understand it.However, maybe it isn't such a bad thing in this stone world where Senku will learn how consistency plays an important role in science.
Relationships: Ishigami Senkuu/Reader
Comments: 38
Kudos: 367





	1. Darkness

**Prologue - Darkness**

_ That day, everyone in the world turned to stone and humanity was plunged into eternal darkness.  _

* * *

“Listen up, Senku!”

The door to the science lab slammed open, startling you and you lost your balance, your arms flailing as you fell off the chair which toppled onto the floor with a loud crash. 

“Ah!” You let out a cry of pain as your ass hit the hard ground, pain crawling up your spine starting from the tailbone. 

Senku winced at the sudden loud noise being so close to his ears before stopping what he was doing and peered down at you, his brows furrowed in slight concern although his words were contradictory to what he was feeling. “Geez, be more careful, will you? How clumsy can one be?”

“Sorry, it’s just that Taiju scared me with his sudden appearance since I wasn’t expecting it at all.” You groaned and pushed yourself into an upright position, rubbing your sore back. 

Taiju who wasn’t’ aware of what just happened went on as he entered the science lab, his words causing everyone else in the room to gasp in shock. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to confess the feelings I’ve had for Yuzuriha for the past five years!” 

“Yeah?” Senku replied in a disinterested tone as he stretched out a hand towards you which you accepted, pulling you to your feet. “Well, that sure does sound interesting. I’ll be cheering for you so hard that my vocal cords snap. From here in this science lab.”

You were smoothing down the front of your school skirt which was slightly rumpled from the fall when you heard the sarcasm in your friend’s voice. Hissing, you elbowed the scientist in his side. “Senku! Don’t be so rude!”

“Tch!” Senku let out an irritated tsk as he turned his head away from the disapproval frown coming from you. 

Turning towards Taiju who had just noticed your presence, your lips quirked up into a smile in encouragement. “Ignore him, Taiju. I’ll definitely support you even if Senku doesn’t. Although, both you and I know that he does care from the bottom of his heart.”

You stuck your tongue out childishly when Senku turned and glared at you, not pleased with your words because he simply doesn’t do emotions being the logical person that he was. 

Taiju, unaffected by his friend’s way of speaking considering this was how he always spoke, rushed forward with his fists clenched in eagerness. “You will? Thanks, Senku!”

“Shut up.” Senku stuck one finger into his right ear, wincing slightly at the loudness of his friend’s voice. “I’m not cheering one millimetre for you, you big oaf.”

“What?!” Taiji’s eyes blinked in disbelief. “Make up your mind!”

You shook your head at the green-haired male’s bluntness, feeling slightly sorry for Taiju who just had the worst luck when it came to making friends.  _ ‘He’s hopeless, that idiotic scientist.’ _

Although, you shouldn’t say so much as well since you could be considered as one yourself for falling for someone who you could confirm, confidently with ten billion percent, would never return your feelings considering he didn’t have the brain capacity to deal with such tacky emotions such as love. 

Hence why you had been burying your feelings for Senku ever since you first discovered them back in the second year of middle school after a year of being friends with him. You sighed forlornly at the indirect rejection, throwing yourself a pity party that you almost missed Senku pulling something out from beneath the lab table. 

Tuning yourself back into the conversation, you managed to catch most of what the scientist said. “I’ve got something for you that’s logical as hell.”

You perked up slightly, thinking maybe you had a chance with Senku after all if he was going to help his friend in the pursuit of the love of his life. Leaning forward in eagerness, you nearly face-planted onto the tabletop trying to get a glimpse of whatever Senku was holding. 

“A drug that’ll stimulate your pheromone output to the max.” The scientist explained as he revealed a round-bottom flask containing a clear liquid unknown to you. 

Suddenly, you felt an ominous aura coming from Senku and uneasiness settled at the bottom of your stomach. You were right when you saw the dark sinister grin creeping onto the male’s face, causing you to flinch slightly in fear. 

“A love potion, if you will.” The green-haired scientist cackled. “Take this, and you’re set, ten billion percent.” 

You watched with curiosity as Taiju accepted the so-called love potion, wondering what he planned to do with it. Would he drink it despite the mysterious substance being questionable considering it was made by Senku who could be sadistic at times?

Your brown-haired friend stared at the flask for a moment or so before casually dumping its content down the sink. “Thanks, Senku, but sorry. I can’t rely on cheap tricks.”

You couldn’t help the gasp of awe at Taiju’s determination to be genuine in his efforts when confessing to Yuzuriha who was one lucky girl unlike you. Even if you couldn’t have the love story that you wished for, doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t root for your own friend’s chance at having theirs coming true. 

“Good luck, Taiju! I’ll be cheering for you from the science lab!” You cheered happily. 

“Thank you (Name)!” Taiju thanked you with a wide grin before turning on his heels and exiting the science lab. 

“Let me know how it goes!” You hollered after his retreating back to which he gave a thumbs-up before slamming the door shut after him. 

Senku, on the other hand, was silent the entire time although his eyes never left his friend’s figure even after he was no longer in sight. 

(E/C) orbs continued staring at the closed door even long after your brown-haired friend had left, letting out a love-sick sigh as you thought to yourself.  _ ‘If only I have the confidence like Taiju in confessing my own feelings for Senku.’  _

The sigh went unnoticed by Senku and he chose to comment on it in that disinterested tone of his. 

“What are you staring at like a fool?” Senku grumbled as he focused on the machine he was observing earlier before being interrupted by a certain brown-haired male. 

You ignored the insult directed at you when suddenly, an idea struck you. Turning to Senku with gleaming eyes, you pointed to the sink where Taiju had poured away the content of the “love potion”.

“Senku! Can you make another one of that? Please!” 

“Huh?!” Said scientist exclaimed, irk marks appearing on his forehead. “What are you, an idiot? As if such a thing really does exist. It’s just gasoline.”

He proved his point by throwing a lit match into the sink, setting the entire thing still covered in the liquid on fire. “I refined it from plastic bottle caps. Think about the molecular structure of polyethene, moron. It’s just a long gasoline molecule with a few hydrocarbons chopped off. You can tell by looking at it.”

“I didn’t understand a single thing you just said, Senku. You know I’m not as smart as you when it comes to science.” You pouted as your body deflated like a balloon, slumping against the table in disappointment at the loss of the one chance you had at bringing your dream to a reality.

Then again, you should have known better that there was no such thing as love potions. There was a reason why you could only find them in those fantasy romance books you always like to read. 

“Tch,” Senku scoffed at your stupidity. “Whatever do you need it for? Are you planning to confess to someone as well?”

“Eh?!” You whirled around to stare at Senku who had a brow raised in question, his arms crossed over his chest. You could feel your cheeks turning red as you waved your hands in front of you while stammering, “N-No! I wasn’t! Besides, I don’t have anyone that I like!”

Red eyes narrowed in suspicion at your words, causing you to stiffen as sweat broke out on your forehead. “I’m ten billion percent sure you’re lying, (Name).”

Panicking, you tried to distract Senku lest he found out your feelings for him. “A-About that so-called love potion, wouldn’t Taiju have died if he drank it?”

The distraction seemed to work, although you couldn’t be so sure since you had a feeling Senku would have seen through your act anyway. Whether if it really worked or the scientist chose to let it slide, for now, you let out a sigh of relief when he didn’t push you for an answer. 

The corners of his lips slowly lifted into a knowing smirk as he let out a chuckle as though your question was a stupid which coming from you, it probably was. “I was ten billion percent sure he wouldn’t drink it. Not that strait-laced idiot.”

Your eyes softened as you smiled fondly at the trust Senku had in Taiju, knowing that the scientist genuinely cared for his friend despite claiming how having emotions was illogical in the name of science. 

* * *

“He’s doing it! He’s gonna do it!” You squealed, jumping up and down in happiness for your brown-haired friend who was finally going to get the girl of his dream.

“Will you pipe down? Geez, you’re just as noisy as that big oaf.” Senku mumbled as he popped open his can of drink, the cold liquid washing away his thirst. 

“B-But Senku!” You whirled around to face the male with wide eyes. “Can’t you be more excited for your best friend?! After all, he’s finally confessing his heartfelt love for Yuzuriha after five long years!”

“Tch, whatever,” Senku muttered and took another gulp of his drink, although his eyes were trained on the scene happening below at the camphor tree that grew behind the school. 

Just then, you heard voices coming from the other students who were also watching the scene unfold from within the science lab. 

“A hundred yen says he gets rejected.” A brown-haired male wearing class spoke up, his eyes glinting with greed at the idea of getting free money.

Another student, this time with short black-haired, piped up beside him. “Three hundred yen says he gets rejected hard.”

“Five hundred yen says he gets rejected at full power.” The last one amongst the three of them commented. 

“Come on guys, you shouldn’t be placing bets on Taiju’s love confession. It’s not nice!” You protested, defending your friend’s honour on his behalf. 

From beside you, Senku joined in much to your surprise, earning the attention of the other students. “Ten thousand yen says he actually doesn’t.”

“Senku! Not you too!” You hissed from beside him, glaring at the male who ignored you as he took another sip of his drink. 

_ “For the past five years, I’ve…” _

From above, you could clearly hear every single word Taiju was saying thanks to his loud voice. You were squirming with anticipation for your friend, knowing how long he had waited for this very moment to happen. 

You were so eager to see what was happening that you didn’t realise you were leaning far too out of the window that if it wasn’t for Senku who quickly grabbed you by the back of your shirt and pulled you back in, you would have fallen to your death. 

What a stupid way to die. 

“What are you, an idiot?!” The green-haired scientist’s brows were furrowed in slight anger as he reprimanded you for your carelessness. “Please be more aware of your surroundings next time!”

“But I wanted to get a closer look!” You complained, your bottom lips sticking out into a pout. 

Senku held back the urge to shake some sense into you as he pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed in frustration. “That’s not an excuse. Gosh, what am I going to do with you?”

You turned your head away and stuck your nose into the air, acting like a petulant child when suddenly, something caught your attention from the corner of your eyes. 

“Senku,” You tugged on the boy’s lab coat to get his attention which then you pointed in the direction of the pulse of green light heading towards you. “What’s that light?”

Red eyes slid over before widening in surprise, unable to tear his gaze away. It was the same for everyone, including you, who had stopped whatever they were doing to stare as the mysterious green light bathed the whole earth in its glow. 

You had a really bad feeling about this and you were right because, in the next second, there was a sudden burst of green rays heading in the direction of the school. 

“S-Senku, w-what’s happening?!” Your voice shook with fear as the male reached out a hand towards you, dropping his can onto the floor and spilling the drink everywhere. 

“(Name)!!”

The last thing you heard and saw was the look of panic flashing across Senku’s face as he called out your name, the tip of his fingers barely brushing your own stretched out hand when darkness fell. 

This time around, the darkness that fell on mankind everywhere would last for a long, long time until the very first human broke out of his stone prison and was the first human to witness the rebirth world for the first time in 3,700 years. 

Senku Ishigami, the smartest human you have ever known in your entire life, was the first-ever petrified human to step foot in the new stone world. 

That was also the start of his journey to de-petrified every human that had turned to stone by the mysterious green light and for that to happen, he needed his constant variable in a world filled with ever-changing variables. 

It was time to break you out of your stone prison as well. 


	2. Stone World

**Chapter 1 - Stone World**

_‘W-What’s going on?! A-Am I dead?!’_

Your mind was in a panic mess, unable to think straight as darkness filled your vision. You could feel the fear thrumming through your veins, rendering you motionless as it took over your whole being. 

You had never been afraid of the dark, not even when growing up as a kid. You believed, just like light, the inky blackness had its own beauty to it. Besides, it was never pitch dark as there would always be remnants of light if you looked hard enough. 

When night fell, there would be the moon that bathed the earth in its silvery glow as millions of stars blanketed across the vast space. Likewise with the sun when it rose high in the sky, there would be pockets of shadows dancing here and there. 

So, there was never a reason for you to be frightened by the darkness. However, the darkness that currently plunged all mankind was of total blackness, not a trace of light to be seen. 

_‘I-I have to get out of this darkness!’_

In desperation, you tried moving your body but you realized it couldn’t move at all. Not one to give up, you wiggled your fingers and toes, shaking your head or even something as simple as blinking but it was fruitless. 

_‘Is that it? Is this how I’m going to die? At a young age of 16 and turned to stone? I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my loved ones.’_

As your mind drowned in despair, you could feel your consciousness giving up and slowly began to ebb away, surrendering to this eternal darkness you were plagued with. Unshed tears welled up at the back of your eyes at such a sad way to go, your heart churning with regret for the one thing you didn’t get to do. 

_‘As I wither away with time, the only one thing I regret will be not telling Senku my feelings for him which I should’ve done so when I still had the chance. I guess the saying “You never know how precious something is until you’ve lost it” is true after all.’_

You scoffed at the irony of it. As your conscious came to a standstill, your eyes fluttered shut and the last you remembered feeling was the overwhelming sadness washing over your heart as it beat for the last time. 

_‘I’m sorry and I love you. Goodbye, Senku.’_

…

**_(Name)!!_ **

Your eyes flew wide open as you let out a huge gasp, your lungs inhaling large gulps of air as your heart went into overdrive in pumping blood constantly throughout your body. 

The memory of Senku reaching out to you in desperation as he called out your name that echoed faintly in your ear flashed through your mind. You remembered the slight fear you saw in his eyes, afraid of losing you as his fingers barely brushed against yours like a flutter of butterfly wings. 

At that moment, you felt like slapping yourself. How could you give up so easily when in that very last instant before darkness enveloped you, the only thing on Senku’s mind was to reach for you so he could protect you from whatever harm the green light would befall upon you?

It wouldn’t be fair to the scientist that even in the last few seconds of his life, it wasn’t about him but you. For someone who was all about facts and figures, his action really showed that he cared more than he let on. 

And you weren’t going to let Senku’s emotions go to waste just like that. In fact, you were going to prove him wrong that emotions weren’t illogical and mattered as much as science did. 

But first, you had to break out of this darkness and knowing your green-haired friend, he was already thinking and figuring how to get out whatever prison he was being encased in. 

_‘I-I can’t give up now! Not when Senku’s waiting for me!’_

No matter how long it would take – months, centuries or even millennia – you were going to fight with every last cell in your body even if it ended up killing you. Your only sole goal now was to get out of this eternal darkness. 

_‘I can’t give in to this darkness! I’ve to keep fighting until the day I’m free from it!’_

The moment you broke free, you were going to tell Senku your feelings for sure this time around. You weren’t going to make the same mistake twice. 

_‘Wait for me, Senku! I’m coming for you!’_

You weren’t sure how much time had passed but it didn’t matter since you couldn’t tell being stuck in that black prison. Instead, you passed the time by playing all the memories you had created with Senku over and over like a never-ending movie which also helped in maintaining your consciousness all this time. 

There were a few times you nearly slipped away and almost succumbed to the darkness, but then you would remember that memory of Senku before you were plunged into the very same darkness. 

That memory was your beacon of light and encouragement to never lose hope. Finally, your efforts were paid off when you finally broke free from this seemingly endless darkness and saw the light again for the first time in forever. 

* * *

“Ack!” You coughed as the first breath of fresh air rushed through your lungs and it had never tasted so sweet to you before after being stuck in that shell for so long. 

After getting your breathing under control instead of gasping like a dying animal, you pushed yourself into an upright position and took a look around your surroundings. (E/C) eyes burnt with curiosity as you took in the sight of nature everywhere – not a single infrastructure in plain view. 

_‘Just how long had it been since the day humans turned into stone that Mother Nature had completely taken over the earth once more, completely erasing any traces of humanity?’_

Suddenly, something caught your attention from your peripheral vision. Glancing down to your side, you noticed what seemed like stone fragments lying on the grassy floor around you. 

You picked up a piece and turned it left and right to take a better look at it, tilting your head to one side in wonderment. _‘Stone fragments? Was this what I broke out of?’_

Deciding you wouldn’t find any answers by staying here, you got up from the ground and dusted off any remaining pieces of stone fragments still stuck to your naked body. 

_‘W-Wait a moment! I’m naked?!’_ The idea of being butt naked sent a thought of panic through your mind. 

With wide eyes, your gaze slowly slid down your body and sure enough, to your mortification, you were as naked as the day you were born. 

“Ah!” You squealed in embarrassment and immediately squatted down to maintain some decency, your cheeks turning red at the thought of your private parts exposed for anyone to see. 

Although, you weren’t sure if there was any other human beside you. 

Still hiding your naked body, you wrecked your brain for the next step on what you needed to do. Firstly, you need to secure some kind of coverage for your body before heading out to find a water source then scavenging for food. 

It would do you no good if you ended up dying from starvation after just weeks of being free from your stone prison. 

Once you had guaranteed your chance of survival in this new world, then would you begin searching for Senku or other humans who might have broken out, depending on which you stumbled across first. 

You felt a surge of confidence welled up within you as a determined smile appeared on your face. Pushing down the urge to never get up from your current position since it would mean exposing your naked butt to the world, you began your journey in acquiring the first item on your list. 

“Goddammit!” Your shout of frustration echoed throughout the forest, startling a few birds to take off into the air. 

You were currently trying to gather some leaves that you could use to make your clothing until you found better materials. You thought it was going to be an easy feat because how hard could it be to find leaves when you were literally in the heart of nature. 

Well, it looked like you were wrong because it was just your luck that it was currently too warm for the leaves to fall anytime soon. 

It would have been no problem plucking those leaves off their branches if it wasn’t for your short ass height. For the past ten minutes or so, you had been struggling just to get your hands on even one leaf. 

No matter how high you jumped, you still weren’t tall enough to reach even the lowest branch, the tip of your fingers barely brushing the leaves sitting on it.

“Stupid. Short. Ass. Height. Making. My. Life. Difficult!” You growled out in frustration and mentally cursed yourself for being so short, kicking the trunk of the tree at each word. 

As though if you weren’t having a hard time already at this survival thing, Mother Nature just had to be a b*tch and introduced a rock out of nowhere. 

“OUCH!” You cried out in pain as your big toe came in contact with said rock, causing you to clutch it and hopped around on one foot. 

Just then, a voice came from above you. 

“If your clumsiness doesn’t kill you first in this stone world, your loud ass voice will definitely be the death of you since the chances of predators lurking around are ten billion percent high.”

“Eek!” You let out a scream, startled by the sudden voice since you weren’t expecting another living soul besides yourself and whirled around to see who it belonged to. 

Glancing up, (e/c) eyes widened at the familiar sight of a green onion-looking hairstyle that always defied gravity with red piercing eyes peering down into your own (e/c) eyes, the corners of his mouth lifted into the confident smirk he always wore. 

Even after all these years, he still looked exactly how you remembered him to be, minus the two cracks on top of his inner eyebrows. 

“What did I say about having a loud noise in this stone world?” Senku spoke up again and tears welled up in your eyes at the thought of being able to hear him once more. 

“Senku,” You laughed, wiping away the happy tears trickling down your cheeks. “It’s been so long.

For a moment, those pair of red eyes that always held so much intellect softened into an unreadable emotion as he crooned in a low tone. “It has, hasn’t it? Welcome back, (Name).”

Hearing the way your name sounded from his lips, it brought on a new wave of tears. For the first time in a long while, you felt the fear and hopelessness that had clung to you like a second skin finally faded away as a second chance of starting your life afresh was bestowed upon you. 

There were a few minutes of silence, besides the sound of Mother Nature, as both of your minds caught up to all that happened. 

Suddenly, a blew through the air, rustling the leaves and causing a shiver to crawl up your spine. You let out a sneeze, sniffling as you wrapped both your arms around your upper body and rubbed your hands up and down on the sides of your arms in an attempt to produce what little heat it could provide. 

Senku noticed and a frown crept onto his face. There was a light thump as he leapt down from the tree he was standing on, trampling the grass beneath his feet as he made his way over to you. 

“We need to get you into some clothes before you catch a cold which we really can’t afford in this stone world which doesn’t have the proper medication to treat it.” His frown deepened as his gaze roamed over your body. 

Starting with your face, red orbs followed the path of your eyes, nose and then mouth before trailing further down your neck where your stone markings rested just above your collarbone and finally the top of your bosoms coloured a healthy flush when it hit him. 

You were naked which meant your most intimate parts were shown clear as day! Now, usually, Senku could care less about such trivial matters but even he couldn’t deny that you were quite attractive when it came to the outer appearance. 

Although, he would never admit that out loud, not even over his dead body. 

So, no one could blame Senku as he simply stood there with wide eyes and resisted the temptation to slide his gaze downwards and look further than what was considered appropriate. 

You could feel the scientist’s stare burning holes through you, earning him a curious look from you which soon gave way to mortification when you noticed where his eyes were fixed upon, the apples of his cheeks dusted in light pink.

“Senku!” You screeched in horror and immediately resumed your crouch position from before, hiding your private areas from the eyes of your friend. 

“H-Huh?” The green-haired male mumbled, blinking his eyes in confusion which was rare of him since he was never puzzled about anything. 

“Stop staring at me while I’m naked, you pervert!” You cried as your face heat up in embarrassment for the second time since you realized you weren’t clothed. 

The word “naked” echoed in Senku’s current empty head before realization dawned upon him and snapped him out of his trance. It was his turn to resemble a tomato as he quickly turned away, his back facing you. 

“S-Sorry, I really didn’t mean to stare.” He stammered out an apology and ran his hand through his hair while mentally berating himself for committing a crime of sexual harassment even though it wasn’t on purpose. 

An awkward silence enveloped the two of you, feeling too flustered by the situation to bring yourselves to say anything. Suddenly, you felt another shiver wrecked your body, causing you to sneeze and broke the silence. 

Remembering your current issue, Senku spoke up. 

“J-Just—” The scientist paused and cleared his throat before continuing on. “Just wait here while I go and get you something to wear. I’ll be right back.”

Without even waiting for your reply, he simply hurried off in the direction of where his camp was to fetch you some clothes. 

The moment you could no longer hear Senku’s footsteps, you let out an embarrassed groan as your face suddenly felt so much hotter to the point you covered it with your hands. 

“This is not how I imagine our reunion to turn out,” You mumbled into your hands before letting out a muffled sigh. 

Hopefully, by the time your friend returns with the promised clothing, both of you would shove this incident to the back of your minds where it would never see the light of day again. 

**Time skipped**

“So,” You dragged out the “o” as you tightened a piece of (f/c) cloth acting as a headpiece into your (h/l) hair, keeping any stray strands out of your face. “How long has it been since you broke free?” 

“Hmm?” Senku hummed from beside you as he led the way to where he had set up camp. “I broke out three months before you. Today is July 5th, 5738.”

“Eh?!” You came to a halt as Senku continued to trudge forward, (e/c) eyes blinking in disbelief. “You’ve been counting the entire time you were stuck in that stone prison?!”

Your green-haired friend paused in his footstep and threw an unamused look over his shoulder, replying in a deadpan tone. “How else am I supposed to stay conscious in that darkness?”

“Huh.” You replied dumbly as the scientist clicked his tongue in annoyance and resumed his walk without even bothering to wait for you. 

When he realized you were still glued to the same spot, he exclaimed in a loud voice to get your attention, not once looking back to make sure you would catch up to him. “I’m going to leave your slowpoke ass behind if you don’t hurry up.”

Snapping out of your daze, you quickened your pace to close up the gap. When you were walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Senku again, you turned to ask him. “If that’s the case, then how many years have passed since that mysterious green light hits the earth?”

“It’s been a good 3,700 years.” He replied, his voice trailing off as silence enveloped both of you. 

(E/C) orbs slowly widened in shock. _‘3,700 years?! I’ve been stuck in that darkness for 3,700 years?!’_

“So, what did you do to manage your consciousness all this time seeing how you’re alive and breathing next to me?” Senku asked in that disinterested tone of his whenever he was curious about something not related to science but didn’t want to show it.

You smiled when your mind flashed back to that day in the science lab when Taiju burst into the room, claiming how he had made up his mind without even giving any context. A wave of nostalgia hit you, eyes softening with sadness at the reminder of how much time had flown by.

Glancing from the corner of his eyes, Senku noticed the droop in your shoulders as well as the faraway look in those (e/c) orbs, knowing you were probably reminiscing about a day from long ago before the Petrification. 

For some unknown reason, he didn’t like that look of sadness sitting across your face. His heart sat heavily in his chest, a feeling which he couldn’t quite place his finger on welled up within him. 

Senku didn’t have the time to figure out what this foreign emotion was as he had other ten billion things that needed to be done for him to achieve his goal in this stone world. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try bringing back the expression you always wore around him. 

The one where whenever he gazed into those bright (e/c) orbs of yours, he would see a galaxy with its own charted stars and planets in it. 

“Did you not hear a single word I just said?” Senku spoke up in a slightly irritated tone which drew you out of your thoughts. 

“W-What?” You blinked and tried to recall what your friend said before you had zoned out. “Erm? Did you say something?”

The green-haired scientist let out a hopeless sigh, muttering about how he didn’t have the energy to deal with this which earned him a sheepish smile from you. 

Rubbing his forehead where he felt an oncoming headache, Senku sighed again as he repeated his question. “I ask how did you manage to maintain your consciousness the whole time?”

“Oh!” You exclaimed as understanding dawned upon you, a bright smile appeared as you answered him happily. “Easy! I was thinking about you and how you were waiting for me the whole time…”

You trailed off, your voice becoming softer and softer as what you had just revealed sank into your mind. Light pink dusted the apples of your cheekbones as (e/c) eyes widened in horror as they slid over to Senku to see his reaction, your heart skipped a beat in fear. 

The scientist had come to a stop, his green hair and clothes swaying as a gust of wind blew through the air, sending stray leaves dancing before fluttering gently to the ground. 

His back was facing you and it felt like time slowed down as he turned around to face you, each anticipating second sending your thoughts reeling. Your breath hitched as piercing red eyes bore into your (e/c) ones as though they were staring into the very core of your soul. 

Your stomach churns with anxiety, your mind thinking all sort of excuses to throw out to avoid your feelings for Senku being found out by the said person. You might have come to a resolution to tell the green-haired scientist about it, however, you wanted to do it in your own way and time. 

You were ready to silence Senku for good which was why you were taken aback by his response because it wasn’t what you had expected at all. 

“If you speak that softly, I can’t hear what you’re saying,” Senku answered as he stuck a finger in his ear and dug around before removing said finger and brought it to eye level, red orbs squinting to see if there was anything on it. 

Your jaw dropped wide open in surprise, (e/c) eyes blinking in disbelief as you were rendered speechless by the greenette’s action. 

He nodded his head once in satisfaction and got rid of whatever was on his finger in one flick before shifting his attention over to you, lifting a brow in question when he saw your expression. 

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?” Senku asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

“N-Nothing!” You stammered and snapped out of it with a shake of your head before turning around stiffly with your back facing Senku so he couldn’t see your facial expression as you marched off in the direction of the camp. 

“Let’s go! I haven’t eaten anything since I broke out and now I’m hungry!”

Senku’s face was blank as he pointed in the opposite direction of where you were heading to. “You’re going in the wrong direction. Camp’s the other way, idiot.”

You paused in your track and both of you stood there, neither saying a word with the rustling of leaves being the only sound present. A minute or so, which felt like an eternity, passed before you broke the silence. 

“I know that.” You commented, turning around once again and confidently walked past Senku in the right direction this time around. “I was merely just testing to see if you were paying attention.”

“Sure you are.” Senku sarcastically replied with an eye roll and shook his head at your idiocy before dropping his arm to his side and following after you. 

With that being said, you started your new life in the stone world. 

* * *

A few weeks had passed since your un-petrification and both you and Senku had more or less settled into a routine. 

While Senku was in-charge of doing all the smart thinking, you were his assistant as well as taking care of the cooking since your green-haired friend couldn’t cook to save his life. He would just end up poisoning both himself and you if he was left to it. 

Together, both of you were managing quite well since Senku had already acquired the basics for human living such as shelter, food, tools and weapons during the three months when you were still stuck in that darkness.

It wasn’t easy, being the only human but with patience and perseverance, Senku did it and because of that, your admiration and love for the scientist only grew stronger. This only made you determined to help out in whatever way you could. 

From now onwards, Senku wouldn’t be alone on this journey anymore because he had you to walk the path with him - by his side. 

Currently, you were out scourging for mushrooms and wild greens to restock on food supply while Senku was at a bat cave not far from where you were, collecting more nitric acid which he hypothesized was what played a factor in how both of you were able to break out from the petrification. 

He discovered that cave when he was studying the stone fragments from which both of you broke out from and trying to figure out what was the cause behind it. 

When he did, Senku had come running back to where you were cooking dinner with a look of excitement written all over his face which frightened you and began explaining his discovery and hypotheses of which you didn’t understand – not one bit at all. 

However, it didn’t matter when you saw the way those eyes lit up like they always did whenever he was going on and on about a topic related to all things science. You didn’t have the heart to stop him because you had missed this side of him. 

Ever since then, he had been trying to undo the petrification but there was still no success. However, knowing Senku, he wouldn’t give up so easily and would keep going at it until he achieved the result he desired. 

_‘Man, if only I have the proper cooking tools to prepare an actual meal. This way, we can have more varieties instead of just eating roasted meat seasoned only with salt.’_ You sighed wistfully, daydreaming about all the delicious food you itched to cook. _‘I guess beggars can’t be choosers, but it’ll be nice to cook Senku’s favourite food again.’_

Suddenly, a smile broke out on your face as a memory from long ago surfaced to mind. 

_“Senku!” You called out the scientist’s name, a big smile on your face as you entered the science lab where the said person had been holed up in ever since school ended hours ago._

_The green-haired male let out a wince as the door slammed shut after you. He removed the safety goggles which hung around his neck and turned to glare at you, irk marks appearing on his forehead._

_“How many times have I told you to not slam the door open?” Senku scowled as his eyes followed your figure which came to a stop next to him, placing your school bag on the table. “I don’t need another person starting to behave like that big oaf.”_

_“Senku, stop calling Taiju that.” You scolded your friend as you rummaged through your bag, looking for something. “You know he can’t help it. That’s just how he is.”_

_The scientist let out a defeated sigh, knowing that he could never win in an illogical fight against you. He simply returned to whatever he was doing before, only to be interrupted by your loudness once more._

_“Eureka!” You exclaimed triumphantly; your lips curved into a wide smirk as you proudly held up a lunch box coloured in green in the air. “I found it!”_

_Senku fixed you a deadpan look. “Should I award you for finding a bento?”_

_Bottom lips stuck out in a pout as you held the lunch box in front of the male. “Don’t be mean, Senku. Is this how you thank me for bringing you dinner?”_

_Your friend stared at the object in your hand with narrowed eyes as though it was something dangerous like a bomb. “What are you, my mother? How many times have I told you that I don’t need your help?”_

_“Just take it, Senku. It’s not like you won’t die if you do!” You complained and shoved the lunch box into said person’s chest. “Besides, I cook your favourite food – ramen!”_

_“Oho, did you now?” Senku lifted an eyebrow and accepted the box, placing it on the table so he could investigate the contents inside it._

_(E/C) eyes sparkled with anticipation, peeking out from over the taller male’s shoulder to see his reaction. Senku rolled his eyes at your expression before focusing on the lunch box that sat innocently in front of him._

_The moment he lifted one side of the lid off the container, he was hit with a strong waft of something familiar. Red eyes widened slightly in surprise as he completely removed the lid and sure enough, it was none other than ramen just as you said._

_“You…” Senku began and turned around, only to trail off when he came face to face with a beaming smile as you held out a pair of chopsticks in one hand, waiting for him to take it._

_His gaze was fixated at the way how those (e/c) orbs became a shade lighter in the late afternoon sun, sparkling with eagerness. With such an expression, how could he say no?_

_Letting out a defeated sigh, Senku accepted the chopsticks and gave thanks for the food before digging in._

_You would never forget the way how red eyes widened in surprise as flavours burst onto his tongue, the flavours dancing in sync. The scientist might have denied the deliciousness of the ramen after finishing it, but you knew better when you saw not a single drop of broth was even left in the lunch box afterwards._

“(Name)!”

You were jostled out of your walk down memory lane when Senku called your name, his voice sounded a bit far from where you were at the moment. 

_‘He’s probably still by the cave.’_ You pondered and answered in a loud voice so your friend could hear you. “Yea?”

“It’s almost sundown. We need to head back to camp before it gets too dark!” came the reply. 

“Coming!” You shouted and proceeded to place the last few mushrooms you had picked into the basket before slinging it over your back and headed in the direction of where the cave was. 

In your haste to get there, you didn’t notice a corner of what looked like a petrified human hand sticking out from the ground. 

“Eek!” You let out a startled squeal as you tripped over the said hand and fell face-first onto the ground, toppling the basket you were carrying which sent mushrooms flying everywhere. 

From nearby, Senku’s head jerked up from where he was observing a stone fragment when he heard a loud crash coming from your direction, resounding throughout the dense forest, and then followed by your shriek. 

“Did that clumsy idiot trip over something again?” The green-haired scientist muttered, shaking his head in exasperation as he exited the cave and went over to you. 

Sure enough, he found you in your current position – lying on the ground in spread-eagle style, your limbs sprawled in all directions with the basket covering your head, spilt mushrooms everywhere. 

Instead of showing concern for your well-being, Senku couldn’t help bursting out in laughter at the comical sight. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as he clutched his stomach, nearly falling over from laughing too hard. 

“HAHAHA! You look like a turtle!” Your friend cried out, not caring that he was scaring any nearby animals away with how loud his laughter was. 

“Senku!” You whined and attempted to push yourself upright, only for one of your hands to slip on a stray mushroom, face planting back into the earth. “Stop laughing and come help me!”

“G-Give me a minute,” Senku managed to breathe out as he struggled to get his laughter under control which once he did, he helped you out of your predicament.

“What happened to you?” He questioned as he removed the basket and pulled you onto your feet, plucking a stray grass out of your (h/c) locks. “Did your clumsy ass tripped over something again?”

After sweeping away the few pieces of grass stuck to your dress, you knelt down and righted the basket before picking up the runaway mushrooms back into it. The entire time there was a pout on your lips. 

“S-Shut up.” You mumbled; your cheeks pinked in embarrassment at Senku’s accurate guessing. “You were the one who rushed me by asking me to hurry up.”

The scientist rolled his eyes at your excuse and knelt down next to you, helping to pick up the mushrooms as well. “Don’t push the blame onto me. It’s not my fault you’re the clumsy one.”

“Whatever!” You huffed like a petulant child, ignoring the chuckles coming from the green-haired male. 

Once all the mushrooms were back in the basket, you picked it up and was about to haul it over your back when Senku stepped in and carried it himself. Without waiting for you, he began the walk back to camp. 

(E/C) eyes blinked rapidly in disbelief at what just happened. It was so sudden and out of nowhere that it took a few seconds before the thought of Senku helping you sank into your brain. 

Upon realizing, you exclaimed in an incredulous tone. “S-Senku?!”

The male paused in his tracks at his name, a beat of silence or so passed before he threw a smirk over his shoulder, his red eyes glinting with confidence in the setting sun. “I need my lab assistant alive if I’m to rebuild civilisation.” 

Without waiting for your reply, he resumed his journey again. As the sky turned a beautiful gradient of pink, purple and orange, you were wearing a soft smile and watching Senku’s retreating back with fondness. 

“It looks like you feel more than you let on, don’t you Senku?” You whispered to no one but Mother Nature as your witness. “In this stone world, I’m gonna be the one thing that never changes in your life – no matter what.”

Your heart warmed at that thought, a silent promise to the one you loved. 

As the sun sank lower over the horizon and making way for nightfall, you glanced over to the stone hand you tripped over earlier on and made a decision to dig up the rest of its body so that there wouldn’t be a repeat of what happened.

Since it was located near the cave, you didn’t want the same thing happening to Senku considering he would be coming back for quite an amount of time for his research. This way with the petrified human visible, it lessened the risk. 

Kneeling down, you got to work. After digging endlessly, you finally managed to free the person from being buried underground. You then fell onto your ass, panting for breath as a hand reached up to wipe away the sweat that had gathered on your brows. 

“This should be a hundred times easier as compared to all the other manual labour Senku and I’ve done so far,” You grumbled tiredly with a frown. 

Your head tilted up towards the sky and you could begin to see the first few stars coming out in the waning light. A thoughtful sigh left your lips, remembering while you were filled in wonderment at the sight of millions of stars stretched out across the wide expanse of space which was a rare sight in a Japanese city, there was melancholy written all over Senku’s face. 

You had a feeling that he was thinking about his father, whom neither of you knew if he was alive or not because when the Petrification happened, Byakuya was in space which meant he probably escaped from being turned into stone along with those who were with him. 

You also knew Senku missed seeing the Milky Way with its planets and stars off all shapes and sizes. In this stone world where humankind was back to square one, the chances of being able to build a telescope were slim to none as the materials required to make one no longer existed. 

However, all hope wasn’t lost because there were Senku and his vast knowledge of science. You believed that one day when human civilisation was revived again, Senku would have the chance to witness the glory of space once more. 

You’re going to make that plausible happen no matter what. 

Deciding it was time to make your way back before Senku came after your ass, you pushed yourself off the ground and was about to leave when you saw something from the corner of your eyes. 

A sense of familiarity washed over you and it was coming from the same petrified human who was no longer buried thanks to you. 

Curiosity got the better of you, wondering if it was maybe someone you knew who also got turned into stone. You squat down to take a better look and sure enough, it was someone whom you recognised. 

In fact, it was a close friend of both yours and Senku’s. 

Lying on the ground with his arms stretched out towards the air as though he was protecting someone was a familiar face frozen into a soundless shout. 

As (e/c) eyes widened in shock, you let out a startled yell. 

“T-Taiju?!”


	3. Hope for Humanity

**Chapter 2 - Hope for Humanity**

The sky was a beautiful shade of blue with a few clouds dotting here and there, drifting lazily in the occasional wind that blew by. The sun was beating warmly against your back, but not in an unpleasant way. 

Nature was alive with all kinds of sounds – the rustling of leaves whenever a breeze passed by, the trampling of deer’s hooves as they munched on grasses, birds singing about their days – all these acting as background music. 

It was a perfect day to restock on food supplies. 

You were currently picking herbs, humming a merry tune to yourself as your head nodded along to the beats. Meanwhile, further up north from where you were located, Senku was gathering more woods to stock up as well. 

The day was going smoothly and you got to admit, living in this stone world wasn’t as bad as you thought it was going to be. It was just you and Senku, a simple boy and girl just doing their best to rebuild human civilisation. 

_‘It feels like we’re a pair of husband and wife leading a simple and domestic lifestyle where our only worries are ensuring we have enough food and water.’_ You blushed slightly at the thought of it. 

Although, that quickly gave way to mortification the moment you realized how inappropriate it was to think such things about your green-haired friend when both of you were simply just friends, nothing more even though you wished it was the case. 

“Stop it, (Name)! I know Senku isn’t here right now, but that doesn’t still entitle you to have such thoughts about him!” You frowned in disapproval as you slapped your cheeks to get a grip on reality. 

After you had calm down, you let out a defeated sigh and resumed what you were doing earlier when suddenly the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by a loud shout coming from where Senku was located at the moment. 

Your head immediately jerked up, (e/c) orbs widened in alarm as you glanced in that direction. Unease gripped tightly at your heart and the thought of your friend being in danger began to form in your mind. 

You were ready to drop everything and ran to his rescue, fearing the worst. However, you managed to hold yourself back at the last moment. 

_‘I shouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusion. Maybe Senku was startled by a deer that came out of nowhere.’_ You bit your lips, trying to reassure yourself. _‘I’ll wait for a bit and observe before going over to make sure nothing bad has happened.’_

Despite that, you still couldn’t help the worry clouding your mind. Yet, you did wait for a few more seconds to pass and when you didn’t hear anything else, you came to the conclusion maybe it wasn’t anything to worry about. 

Nonetheless, you decided to call it a day for now. Besides, there was no harm in checking with your own two eyes that nothing had happened to Senku. With their resolution in mind, you threw the last few pieces of herbs into the basket and slung it over your shoulder before making your way towards where you heard the commotion – quickening your pace as fast as you could without tripping on anything. 

“Senku!” You yelled as you burst through the green foliage, (e/c) eyes wide with barely concealed panic and glanced around the surroundings for any signs of danger. “What happened?! Are you okay?! I heard a loud shout and rushed over as fast as I could! You’re not hurt right?!”

“I’m fine, you idiot and it wasn’t me.” Senku rolled his eyes at your overdramatic reaction before pointing a thumb over his shoulder to show who was the one responsible for the loud noise. “It’s none other than the big oaf there who was being loud and attracting any possible predator within the vicinity.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” You breathed out a sigh of relief and your shoulders relaxing as the tension leave your body, only to perk back up once more when you finally registered the person standing behind the scientist.

“Taiju,” You exhaled shakily, (e/c) eyes glimmering with unshed tears at the sight of the brown-haired male who was grinning widely at you. “You’re finally awake.”

Senku watched the entire exchange with softened red eyes, his smile losing its usual confident edge as two of the closest people in his life had their reunion – laughing in delight despite the tears that had overflown streaming down your face with Taiju in a similar fashion as he rushed forward towards you with outstretched arms. 

That was when it dawned upon him that other than the coverage, made from a few leaves barely together by a vine, hiding his friend’s private parts, the other male was as naked as the day he was born and that fact did not sit well with Senku, especially when said person was about to hug the living daylights out of you who was a girl while dressing indecently. 

Before Taiju could even come as close as a centimetre to you, he was met with a certain green-haired scientist’s foot to his face preventing him from coming into physical contact with you. 

“Don’t hug (Name) while you’re buck naked!” Senku’s mouth curled in disgust, although there was no heat, digging his foot harder into his friend’s face who was resisting by pushing back. “I’ll kill you!”

Meanwhile, light giggles escaped from your lips as you watched the scene happening in front of you, a sense of nostalgia hitting at the familiar sight of the duo’s usual dynamic playing out. 

‘ _It almost feels like we’re back in high school where our only worries were homework instead of trying to revive the world with science alone.’_ You smiled, the corners of your eyes crinkling with fondness as Taiju kept reaching for you with grabby hands, mind set on giving you a well-deserved hug which only further sealed Senku’s resolution to keep him away from you – at least until he was properly dressed. 

With the sun shining brightly overhead and the sound of nature teeming with life, hope unfurled like the first bloom of spring in your heart with the knowledge that things were looking up now that the three of you were together. 

All that was left was to revive Yuzuhira and the group would be completed, ready to take on whatever the stone world would throw in your faces. 

There was a beat of silence before the green-haired scientist let out a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his head as he contemplated on how to break the news of how 3,700 years had passed to Taiju.

* * *

In the end, he settled on simply being frank and straightforward with his brown-haired friend. After all, he was never one for beating around the bush even if sometimes the hard truth was not what people would want to hear and that was one of the many things you loved about him. 

“Today is October 5th, 5738,” Senku informed the other male, a confident smirk snaking its way onto his face. “You slept in for a hell of a long time. I’ve been up and working for over six months already with (Name) helping me for the past two months.”

Even though it wasn’t necessarily a compliment, you couldn’t help beaming widely at what Senku said, your cheeks flushed with pride at the thought of being useful to the male. 

“So it’s been…” Taiju began, only to trail off as he tried to count how many years had passed on his fingers, but it wasn’t easy when there were only ten fingers in total. 

“A good 3,700 years.” You supplied helpfully from the side, able to sympathize with your wide-eyed friend who was trying to wrap his head around that knowledge since that was exactly how you felt when Senku broke the news after you broke out of your stone prison all those months ago. 

Turning his head to you, Taiju asked in surprise. “How can you tell exactly what day it is?”

You blinked your eyes a few times, unable to comprehend his question until realization dawned upon you. 

“O-Oh,” You stuttered out before moving back one step to reveal Senku, your index finger pointing at him. “It was Senku who told me the exact same thing when I broke free for the first time.”

Taiju waited for further explanation, but you simply grinned at him without saying anything. Realising he wasn’t going to get an answer from you, the brown-haired male turned to stare at his friend. 

“Huh?” Senku blinked once and glanced over, replying in a casual tone as though it wasn’t such a big deal. “I simply counted. How else would I know?”

Taiju gasped in mixture disbelief and shock, his eyes widening even further while you giggled at his response. After all, it was exactly how you reacted when you were being told the same thing by Senku. 

The scientist was too intelligent for his own good, to the extent that his normal and mundane was others extraordinary or remarkable. (And if you – when it’s not you – found it amusing every time someone reacted to his intellect, it was no one’s business but your own.)

**Time skipped**

The three of you were currently making your back to camp with Senku leading the way and explaining further in details on how he kept his consciousness going in that state of darkness to Taiju who was following closely behind him. 

“In that darkness? The entire time?” Taiju questioned in a slightly shaky voice, still unable to grasp the reality of it even after Senku had explained in more details. 

“Well, if you put it this way, I guess it sounds like an impossible feat.” You scratched your head in contemplation. “Then again, this is Senku we’re talking about.”

The green-haired scientist merely shrugged his shoulders, once again not understanding why or how it was such a big deal before going on. “Even if I could have awakened by sheer willpower, if I’d woken up naked in the winter, trying to find food would have been an instant game over. Starting in the spring is a must for survival. An accurate account of the time was information that I absolutely needed.”

“That makes sense.” You hummed thoughtfully when suddenly, you bumped into Senku’s back – not realizing that he had stopped walking since you weren’t paying attention. 

You stumbled backwards and rubbed your nose, letting out a muffled “ow” which earned you a concerned frown from your friend. “Look where you’re going next time, idiot.”

Waving off his worries, you walked ahead to the wooden treehouse while Senku turned towards Taiju with a smirk. “All right, we’re here. Time to stop blabbering and get to work.”

Since there was a bit of a distance between you and the two other males, you didn’t catch their conversation and instead focused on placing the herbs you had collected this morning into its respective clay pot. 

Although, as Senku neared the house, you quickly understood what your brown-haired friend had asked based on his response. The corners of your lips curled into a smile as you remained quiet, simply listened and continued with your task, knowing that the words Taiju needed to hear were not yours, but his best friend. 

“We don’t have enough manpower. Just producing the bare minimum to keep ourselves alive takes all day.” The green-haired male stated as he climbed the ladder leading up to the treehouse. “Even with (Name) in-charge of cooking and managing to hunt for the food we need on her own, although that’s a surprising feat on my part—”

“Hey! It’s not surprising okay!” You protested, feeling offended that Senku would think otherwise.

Rolling his eyes, the scientist ignored you and went on. “—it still isn’t enough when it comes to strength. To rebuild civilization, I need a big, muscle-bound meathead. I’ve been waiting for you this whole time, Taiju. I was ten billion percent certain that you were alive.”

This was where you decided to cut in because while Senku might be able to see that since he was observant, he wouldn’t be able to relate considering he was averse to the idea of romance as he was one for logic. 

However, you, on the other hand, were able to empathize as both of you were in the same shoe. The only difference was that Taiju had the confidence to act upon his feelings whereas you chose to keep it hidden for as long as you could. 

Pausing in what you were doing, you turned to the other male with a knowing grin and winked at him as you spoke up. “After all, there’s no way a guy who was so intent on confessing to Yuzuriha would give in after just a few thousand years. You aren’t that weak. Am I right to say that, Taiju?”

“Yeah.” Taiju agreed, his eyes closed for a beat of silence before they snapped open with determination reflected in those shining brown orbs. “Of course I’m not.”

_**“I’m counting on you to do all the brain stuff, Senku.”** _

Night-time had fallen and so had the temperature. Senku was trying to start a fire with the tool he had made with you assisting him in whatever way you could while Taiju, properly dressed this time right, was chopping up firewood with an axe not far behind the two of you. 

_**“You can count on me to do the heavy lifting!”** _

Stray sparks flew into the night sky from the fire currently burning brightly and in it, you could see the history of human evolvement. “Humanity spent two million years getting from the stone age to the modern age. We’re going to sprint all the way back to the top.”

Three pairs of orbs shone in the darkness, their hearts beating in tune with the flames dancing wildly with a life of its own as they set their eyes onto the future. 

“I’m going to take the world back.” Senku declared with purpose. “And I’ll figure out the science behind the petrification and our revival.” 

“I’m going to save Yuzuriha,” Taiju exclaimed in resolution, his goal still the same focus even after 3,700 years had passed. 

(E/C) orbs jumped back and forth between your companions, before they too, hardened with determination upon hearing their goals as you professed your very own goal as well. “I’m going to stay by Senku’s side and be the best lab assistant he has ever seen!”

 _‘I’m going to tell Senku about my feelings!’_ You thought to yourself at the same time. It was a goal not meant for anyone but yourself to know. After all, it was something you had to do on your own courage and not relying on someone else’s.

“The three of us high school brats are going to build a civilization out of nothing.” Those red hues blazed like rubies in the light of the flames curling higher into the air. “We’re going to become the Adams and Eve of this stone world.”

You smiled secretly to yourself, seeing those lips stretched wide into a confident smirk as Senku stated in amused excitement. “This is exhilarating.”

And you couldn’t agree more. 

**Time skipped**

You let out a deep sigh, burrowing deeper into the sleeping bag made from animal skin to escape the chilly cold whenever night fell – the dying embers of earlier fire unable to provide the warmth you needed. 

Tonight, you had decided to sleep beneath the Milky Way with its faraway galaxies and stars twinkling like little diamonds scattered across the wide expanse of the intergalactic. 

At least, that was your original plan and yet for some reason, you found yourself unable to fall asleep. Another quiet sigh escaped your lips which was soon drowned out by the loud snoring coming from Taiju who was sleeping like a sound baby in the wooden treehouse above you. 

The corners of your mouth curved into a small, amused smile as the thought of how if there was an earthquake, your brown-haired friend would most likely sleep through it like nobody business. 

You blew a stray piece of (h/c) hair out of your eyes which was fixated onto the night sky above you. In this tranquil quietness, with the moon bathing earth in its silvery glow, you felt peaceful. 

Suddenly, there was the sound of rustling coming from beside you. Without even seeing who it was, you already knew it was Senku because he was the only other soul that would be awake at this ungodly hour. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” You hummed gently, (e/c) orbs still glued to the stars and planets winking down at you from their home in space. 

Instead of receiving a verbal response, you felt a pair of burning orbs resting on you. Out of sheer curiosity, you turned your head to the right where the green-haired male was lying next to you; was with intense red eyes.

Between the sounds of Taiju snoring in the background and crickets echoing around in nature, not a single word was exchanged as both of you stared at each other in silence. 

You found yourself unable to tear your gaze away, enraptured by those beautiful hues of rubies as you drowned in them. Still, you wondered why the scientist was looking at you like that, but not wanting to break the comfortable quiet, you raised your brows in puzzlement. 

Senku chuckled lightly when he understood the question silently asked behind those orbs, a shade lighter as they held its own universe – more beautiful than any other universe or galaxies out there in his opinion. 

His words were no louder than a whisper as he answered your silent question with a soft smile, his eyes creased slightly in fondness for the girl who had been in his life ever since the first day they met. 

“You’re already the best assistant lab I ever had.”

* * *

The next day with the sun shining brightly along with clouds drifting lazily in the clear blue sky, Taiju returned to camp where both you and Senku had been waiting as he went on a hunt in the morning, 

“At least it’s a huge haul, I guess.” Senku sweatdropped, eyeing the huge basket filled to the brim with food which his friend placed down in front of him before shifting his gaze up to him. “What kind of cheat gave you that stamina?”

You, on the other hand, had already begun to sort out the herbs into two smaller baskets – inedible and edible. The brown-haired male immediately snapped out of his prideful daze and exchanged it for a wide-eyed expression as he watched you got to work. 

“Amanita virosa: poisonous. Buna shimeji: edible.” You muttered to yourself, tossing at least half of the herbs into the non-edible basket. 

Picking up a red mushroom with white spots that clearly screamed poisonous, you fixed the one responsible with an unimpressed stare and held up said mushroom. “Amanita muscaria: poisonous. Taiju, are you trying to kill us or something? Half of these are all poisonous!”

“You can’t tell this one’s bad? It looks like it’s right out of Mario.” Senku added. 

“Eh…” The brown-haired male scratched his head in confusion as he mumbled beneath his breath. “All of them look the same to me. Isn’t mushroom just mushroom?”

The scientist rolled his eyes at his friend’s simpleton thinking and turned to you. “Next.”

You went on examining the herbs Taiju had collected. “Mugwort: edible. Monkshood.” 

Seeing the violet flower in your hand, you gave your friend another unimpressed stare while Senku exclaimed in exasperation. “Who is there to kill, you moron?”

“Well, at least he managed to kill a boar.” You tried to cheer up the taller male who had an imaginary rain cloud hanging over his head as you carried the edible basket over to the firepit so you could get started on lunch. “Since Taiju works so hard, we’ll have a feast for lunch!”

Taiju immediately perked up at your encouragement while Senku was basically drooling at the idea of having meat for once since it had been too long. With you not trained to hunt for bigger spoils with an actual weapon and him not built for stamina, the only time both of you managed to enjoy meat was if any animals were caught by the traps set up mainly by you around the forest. 

And since that didn’t happen all the time, the two of you had to make use with the herbs and mushrooms you had collected. However, with Taiju now in the picture, maybe things would be different. 

Not long after, the boar and mushrooms were roasted to a nice char and lunch was ready to be served. The three of you were sitting around the crackling fire and after giving thanks, Taiju was the first to bit into a big mushroom. 

The moment his taste buds came in contact with the flavour, brown eyes widened in glee and exclaimed enthusiastically. “Yum! How did you season this?”

“It’s just salt that Senku pulled from seawater.” You replied in a cheery tone, happy to see someone enjoying your cooking. 

From beside you, said person explained in further details as he added more salt onto his meat to give it a richer taste. “Humans can enjoy just about anything with a pinch of salt. It’s important for pickling, too.”

You nodded your head in agreement and bit into your mushroom before commenting, not caring you were speaking with a mouth full of food. “You could say it’s primitive man’s greatest discovery.”

“Don’t speak with your mouth full. It’s disgusting.” Senku frowned in your direction and you retaliated by taking another huge bite, giving him a wide-tooth grin which showed all bits and pieces of chewed food which caused the male to recoil in revulsion. 

Swallowing your food, you let out a bark of laughter, the corners of your eyes creasing in mirth while the green-haired scientist’s right eye twitched once at your childishness. 

“Thanks, Senku and (Name), for everything!” Taiju smiled in gratitude. “I’m going to make up for the thinking I can’t do with brute force and diligence!”

“That’s the spirit!” You cheered and giggled in amusement as your friend finished his meat in one big bite, scrambled to his feet and grabbed the same basket he used this morning before rushing back into the forest to hunt for more food – his loud voice filling the empty sky. 

“Time to scavenge the other side!”

Cupping your hands around your mouth, you hollered, “Be careful out there, Taiju!” while Senku simply waved his friend off, focusing on enjoying his lunch. 

When you could no longer see Taiju’s retreating back, you turned back to your meal and both you and Senku finished off lunch in peaceful silence, minus the occasional happy noise you let out as you enjoyed the simple but tasty food to the fullest. 

About 15 minutes had passed since Taiju left camp to look for more food and lunch ended not just long ago. Smoke from the put-out fire curled in a slow drawl towards the sky as you stowed away the leftover food for Taiju who didn’t eat much before running off. 

Meanwhile, Senku was lying flat on his back like a starfish and patting his full stomach as he let out a satisfied sigh. Upon seeing the lazy lump on the ground, you shook your head in and walked over with a disapproval frown on your face. 

“Get up, Senku.” You gently nudged the scientist in the side with the toe of your shoes, although it was pointless because all you got was a groan and a weak attempt to push you away. 

“Go away,” The male grumbled in annoyance. “Leave me alone.”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, you remained unmoving and admonished Senku with both hands on your hips with (e/c) eyes narrowed into a glare. “It’s not good for your digestive system to immediately lie after you have eaten so much. It’s elementary school science!”

There was a tense silence as Senku pushed himself into an upright position, irk marks appearing all over his forehead as he returned your glare with one of irritation. “Are you insulting my intelligence?”

Smiling with delight at the fact you had managed to rile up the usually unbothered male, you bent down to his height and patted his right cheek in mock comfort. “I know. I’m just getting my revenge since you’re always the one teasing me.”

You let out a quiet giggle as Senku crossed his arms and turned his nose into the air, acting like a petulant child. 

“There, there.” You comforted your friend, the bright smile on your face never leaving. 

“Whatever,” Senku mumbled as he rose to his feet and walked off, heading into the dense forest without so much giving you an explanation as to where he was going. 

Tilting your head to the sight in a mix of confusion and curiosity, you called out to him. “Senku, where are you going?”

“I’m going to the cave to pick up the jar of nitric acid which should be full by now so I can continue with my experiment.” He paused in his track, simply responded and resumed his trek – all the while not once glancing back at you. 

“Oh,” You mumbled and not wanting Senku to see the disappointment reflected in (e/c) orbs, you plastered a wide smile even if the upward curves of your lips didn’t quite reach your eyes. “Be careful. I’ll be here waiting for you.”

Even if it didn’t show on your face, the green-haired scientist must have heard it in your voice because he came to a halt and this time around, he was looking at you as he glanced over his shoulder with a knowing smirk. “Wanna come with me? After all, you’re my lab assistant, aren’t you?”

You immediately perked up as a genuine bright grin bloomed on your face at how Senku hadn’t forgotten his words from last night like how you thought he had. Nodding your head like an overeager puppy, you joined your companion by his side. 

Turning your head to the side so that you were facing Senku, you exclaimed in glee. “Let’s go!”

Without waiting for the male, you trudged on ahead with a light skip in each step, humming a happy tune that made no sense to anyone but you. Shaking his head in fond exasperation, the hard edges around ruby orbs softened as they gazed upon the familiar back for a few moments before following after you.

In this point of time, this emotion that filled Senku’s heart was unfamiliar to him and he could only describe it as warm. He had felt it many times when he was around you but always brushed it off since feelings were illogical to him. 

Yet, it would only become more constant with each tick of time passing by and eventually overspill to his brain where he would finally figure out what it was. After all, Senku was a genius scientist. 

The only issue would be, will he accept that maybe love wasn’t so bad in the end.

**Time skipped**

“Look! Someone besides Senku, (Name) and I have survived!”

You tried to stifle the amused giggles threatening to escape your lips upon hearing Taiju’s shouts. Nevertheless, you lost it when you heard the next few words coming from him. 

“Who left this here?!”

“I did, idiot,” Senku replied blankly whereas you couldn’t stop giggling at the brown-haired male’s ridiculousness. 

Said person froze when he heard his friend’s voice and turned with eyes wide opened in disbelief, exclaiming in an even louder voice than before. “It was you?!”

“Who else do you think it’ll be, Taiju?” You chuckled as both you and Senku entered the cave. “Do you see any other humans besides the three of us?”

The taller male blinked his eyes a few times before questioning the existential crisis of humanity. “Are we the only humans left in this world?”

“We’ll get more humans.” Senku, being serious for once, answered as he came to a stop next to his friend. “That’s a top priority.”

“Besides,” He continued, “What future does humanity have with just us two dudes and a girl trudging on?”

“That’s true.” Taiju agreed. 

You, on the other hand, had an entirely different idea in mind. 

“I-I mean, it’s not completely hopeless.” You could feel your cheeks heating up with each word as you scratched them lightly. 

Two pairs of confused and curious turned to you, both of your male companions asked in unison. “What do you mean?”

 _‘Do they not really get it?!’_ You blinked your eyes in disbelief. _‘I understand if Taiju doesn’t get it, but Senku, who is freaking scientist and an intelligent one on top of that, it’s a shocking feat!’_

Shaking your head to get off any further wandering thoughts, shamefully indecent, you ignored the pair of questioning gazes still locked onto you, waiting for an answer. It only made you blushed a deeper pink. 

Unable to stand the self-embarrassment anymore, you tried to redirect their attention somewhere else. “Well, there has to be some sort of hope. I mean, look at the three of us, still alive and breathing.”

“You’re right!” Taiju grinned enthusiastically, only to dim with uncertainty as he turned to the green-haired scientist and asked, “There has to be right, Senku?”

Said person gave you a curious look, wondering what was that all about but chose to leave it as it was when he saw how red your cheeks had become. Instead, he took your bait of changing the topic at hand. 

“(Name) has a valid point.” Senku gave the (h/c)-haired girl a wink, earning a confused “I did? in returned. “Besides, why exactly were we freed from our petrification after 3,700 years?” 

“The rock rotted?” Taiju asked as Senku walked ahead towards the broken pieces of Taiju’s stone prison lying on the cave ground. 

“Yeah. Supposing this weird mineral was corroded,” Senku bent down to pick up a piece and waved it around in the air with a smirk on his face, driving a point home. “Isn’t it suspicious that the three of us got out at almost the same time?”

“Only a few months apart after 3,700 years.” You mumbled with furrowed brows, trying to figure out where the scientist was trying to go with this. “Are you trying to say there’s a logical explanation to this?”

“Bingo! As expected of my lab assistant.” Senku grinned and pointed the rock piece at you, a hint of pride reflected in those red eyes. “There’s a logical explanation behind every coincidence."

Blushing for the second time with a completely different reason, you replied in a shy voice. “I-It was nothing.”

“The three of us washed up near this cave.” Red eyes travelled up towards the ceiling of the cave where one of its stalactites was dripping a greenish-yellow liquid into the clay jar. “Look at that stuff dripping from up there.”

Both you and Taiju did as told, eyes trailing up towards the ceiling covered with tons of sleeping bats. 

“It’s the miracle liquid made from bat guano…Nitric acid.” The green-haired male revealed. 

“What?! Nitric acid?!” Taiju dramatically exclaimed while you responded calmly, “I didn’t know you can find nitric acid in bat shit.”

“What’s that?!” The taller male asked while the three of you exited the cave, making the way back to camp. 

“I knew you’d say that, you big oaf.” Senku deadpanned. “I’m not gonna waste time even explaining the gist of it.”

“Senku!” You admonished the scientist, but there was no heat to it and turned to Taiju with a small smile. “Nitric acid is a type of chemical that can be found in fertilizers and making of plastics. It is also used for making explosives like TNT.”

Brown orbs widened in understanding at your simple explanation, his mind not having a difficult time trying to comprehend the science for once unlike it usually does whenever Senku explained scientific things to him. 

“Thank you, (Name)! I understand now!” Taiju thanked you in his naturally loud voice. 

Giggling, you replied. “You’re welcome, Taiju.”

Senku, on the hand, spoke up in a bored tone. “I didn’t know you were that well adverse in science, considering you’re always asking me to tutor you in the subject.” 

“Hey!” You protested and whirled around, giving him an offended glare. “This isn’t exactly rocket science since it’s being taught in high school, Mr-I’m-Too-Genius-For-This-Normal-World.”

“Sure, whatever floats your boat at night.” Senku teasingly replied as he patted you on your hair while you puffed your cheeks up in annoyance but didn’t retaliate to his ministration. 

“So you’re saying this something-or-other acid corrodes the stone and revives them?” Taiju questioned as he watched his friend poured the nitric acid all over the petrified bird said person had retrieved from his shed once all of you arrived back at camp. 

“If only it were so simple,” Senku answered and put away the empty jar before turning his focus back onto the bird to see if the stone would decay. 

A tense silence hung in the air as the three of you continued to stare at the petrified creature, drops of sweat forming on your foreheads with each passing second. Yet, nothing happened, not even a single reaction at all. 

All three of you sighed in disappointment. 

“Senku has been trying like a madman, using every method available to him.” You informed Taiju as Senku got up from the ground and entered the small shed, the rest of you following behind. “Yet, each time, it was a fail.”

Taiju’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw the number of petrified birds lining the shelves in the shed. 

“So many times…So many dozens of times…This is all in the realm of fantasy.” Senku spoke up as he placed the bird back on a shelf with the rest of its petrified comrades. “Is it mineral? Is it cellular?”

“I don’t even have the equipment to find out any more.” He confessed, his back facing the two of you. 

A sense of sadness hit you at those words because it sounded like the scientist was giving up which wasn’t like him at all. You had always known Senku for his perseverance to keep trying until he found a solution no matter how many obstacles might get in his way. 

That was why it filled you with sorrow to see such a determined boy giving in so easily. 

Even his own friend must have felt the same way because his tone was filled with disbelief as he asked, “So there are things in this world that even science can’t explain?” 

Oh, how yee of little faith. 

“Hahaha!” Senku laughed, earning startled looks from both his companion. The corners of his lips curled into a confident smirk as he glanced at the two of you from his peripheral vision. “Here we go again with that tired cliché.”

Both you and Taiju exchanged confused frowns, questioning if the scientist had gone mad. 

Tilting his body so that he was facing both of you, Senku explained. “That’s why you hypothesize and experiment over and over. Science is a slow process. If only I had liquor, though…”

The scientist muttered the last sentence to him, placing a hand onto his chin in contemplation. Meanwhile, you and Taiju blinked your eyes, wondering why do an underage teen need liquor for. 

Seeing the puzzlement written all over your faces, he decided to enlighten both of you. “With the alcohol in liquor, I could combine the nitric acid and ethanol to make nital. It’s literally an industrial-strength etching agent.”

“What did you just say, Senku?” Taiju immediately asked in a weird voice, earning a strange look from you. 

“Huh? I said nital.” Senku looked over to his friend. “It gets into the ferrite grain boundary and—”

“Not that! I don’t understand the brainy stuff. But ‘If only I had liquor’?” Taiju interrupted and held out wild grapes he collected earlier in both of his large palms. “Couldn’t we make wine out of grapes?”

The surprised look on the scientist’s face turned into a wide grin as he glanced up at the brown-haired male. “Not bad, you big oaf!”

A delighted smile spread across your face as you clapped your hand in glee. “Good job, Taiju!”

Brown eyes lit up with a determination as Taiju grinned in confidence. “Let’s get to work!”

* * *

Before you knew it, three weeks had passed since that day and the wine was finally ready. 

“That should do it,” Senku explained as Taiju poured the freshly made wine over a basket acting as a sift to get rid of any solid item into another separate clay jar. 

“You know, Senku, this would count as underage drinking, though.” You commented with an unsure smile as you watched said person sipping away at a cup of wine like nobody’s business. 

Laughing assuredly, the green-haired male grinned widely and held up his cup into air. “Not a problem. We’re well over 3,700 years old.”

“Oh, you’re right!” Taiju agreed before letting out a hearty laughter. 

Meanwhile, you watched in hopelessness as your brown-haired friend grabbed the same jar he was pouring wine into and proceeded to take huge mouthfuls of said liquor, enjoying it to his heart content. 

Only to spit it back out, earning an exasperated sigh coming from you as you handed him a cup of water to get rid of the bitter taste. 

“There, there,” You comforted the brunette, giving him sympathy pats on his back. 

Senku, on the hand, had no issue as he took another delighted sip before glancing at his cup with a pleasing smile. “It’s better than I thought it’d be. Though it’s about ten billion times worse than what’s on the market.”

“I never knew it was so easy to make with just grapes,” Taiju commented in awe as he glanced at the jar still clutched in both his hands, remaining traces of wine dripping down his chins. 

“That may be the case, but I suggest we don’t make more in the future unless it’s for scientific purposes.” You spoke in a firm tone and then glanced over to Senku with a frown, both hands on hips. “Especially you, Senku.”

Ignoring you, Senku placed down his cup and closed his eyes. “One step at a time.”

“Things are about to get a little more tedious, though.” He lifted his right hand to his head, cracking his neck as the corners of his lips quirked into a self-assured smirk and opening his eyes to stare at both of you – red orbs glinting. “Distilling Wine for Dummies, starting with brandy.”

“Distilling, huh?” You questioned as you followed Senku who climbed down the treehouse first while Taiju, who simply jumped out and landed on the ground below with wobbly knees, commented. “No idea what that means!”

“I knew you’d say that,” Senku said as he hopped onto the ground, followed by you. “Heat it, cool it, drip it. That concentrates the alcohol.”

(E/C) eyes lit up in recognition and turned to Senku with a grin, saying, “Now that you mention it, I remember reading it in history. This isn’t the first time humans have this. In fact, people in the Mesopotamian Civilization were doing it in 3000 B.C. using clay pots, right?”

“Not bad, assistant.” Senku complimented as he ruffled your hair. “So, you do know some stuff after all.”

“Stop it! You’re gonna mess up my hair!” You complained and pushed your friend’s hand away, readjusting the (f/c) cloth and smoothing out any flyaway (h/c) strands with a pout. “Of course, I know my stuff. I may not be as smart as you, but it doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention in class.”

Cackling in mad delight, Senku turned his attention back to the distillation setup made from clay in front of him, arms outstretched in front of him as he exclaimed in 100% confidence and not noticing the slight crack in the side of the giant pot. “There’s nothing you can’t do if you try. This is exhilarating.”

“Erm, Senku, you should probably—” You tried to warn the scientist but it was too late as the small crack came loose and wine immediately began spewing out from it before the entire giant clay pot exploded, spilling wine everywhere onto the ground and Senku’s entire front – staining his clothes and even onto his hair. 

“—step away…” You finished in a low voice, wincing at the miserable sight of the green-haired scientist. 

Luckily for both you and Taiju, the two of you managed to get away with simply just a few splatters here and there, nothing too drastic like poor, old Senku. 

Feeling sorry for your friend, you offered to wash his clothes for him while both he and Taiju get to work on a new batch of wine. “Here, give me your clothes. I’ll wash them for you.”

With no other choice, Senku obliged and did as told. For the rest of the day, while you were focused on doing chores such as washing and preparing for dinner, the duo of best friends got started on the second round of distilling wine. 

The sun was slowly dipping over the horizon painted in streaks of purple, pink and orange, making way for night-time as the first signs of stars appeared, twinkling faintly in the evening sky. You glanced over at the other two who were working hard crashing wild grapes under the fading sunlight, sweat dripping down their bare backs. 

With a gentle curve of your lips, you smiled fondly and decided they deserved a well-earned break with dinner as their reward for working so hard. Calling out in a loud voice with cupped hands over your mouth, you gained their attention. “Dinner’s ready!”

Two heads perked up like excited dogs at hearing there was food and immediately rushed over. Inhaling in the delicious scent of mushrooms seasoned in salt and natural herbs roasting over the firepit, their stomachs grumbled loudly, feeling famished after a long day of hard work. 

Grinning, you gestured to the food. “What are you waiting for? Dig in!” 

Both Senku and Taiju didn’t have to be told twice as they dived in and began stuffing their mouths full of roasted mushrooms of varying sizes. 

Under the starlit night, dinner was a loud affair as Taiju grinned teasingly while waving mushrooms at Senku who was crying crocodile tears as he resumed his previous task after having his share. 

Giggling at that sight, (e/c) eyes trailed towards the night sky and let out a soft sigh. Today had been a long and tiring day what with if the distillation setup exploding and causing all three of you to start from ground zero. 

Yet, nonetheless, the hard work was going to worth it if it meant there was hope for humanity and you knew if not Senku, then who else could pull it. With that determination in mind, you made a silent vow to help out the entire way even if it would take a long time. 

**Time skipped**

Summer soon gave way to autumn, the green leaves changing into different hues of brown, orange and red which made way for bare branches with thick snow clinging onto them – coats lined with animal fur required to keep warm in the bitter cold. 

Another season had passed and before long, spring was here once more as the snow melted in the warm sun to reveal grass as green as emerald and flowers painted with all seven colours of the rainbow. 

Just like that, another year had come and still no results were achieved. The three of you had tested the miracle liquid as Senku had named it on so many petrified birds, in hope of having at least getting a reaction out of one and yet, so far, nothing had happened. 

You turned your gaze towards the retreating back of Senku as he walked away to the entrance of the shed where the experiments had been taking place for the past year. The frown on your face deepened, causing the corners of (e/c) orbs to crinkle as the male kicked a jar in disappointment and frustration. 

Your heart ached for the teen, knowing how hard he had work and yet, all his experiments had been futile for the past one year. One could only take so much before he gave up, but you knew Senku better. 

You knew that he would keep trying and experimenting until he achieved the result he desired. Even then, it could still get unsatisfying when one tried so hard and accomplished nothing in return. 

Just as you were about to speak up with words of encouragement in hope of cheering your friend up as you had been for each failed experiment, there was a light sound of cracking, barely audible, but all three of you heard it loud as clear in the quiet shed. 

Three pairs of wide orbs watched as the tail end of a petrified feather cracked once, then twice before the stone around it finally decayed to reveal a dark grey lined with white, fluttering before gently coming to a standstill; glistening in the soft rays of the morning sun. 

With eyes still wide in shock and disbelief, the trio slowly turned their heads to face each other, unmoving as neither said anything. A pause of heartbeat passed before the incredulity expressions were washed away by a widespread of thrilled grins exchanged amongst each other. 

Excitement could be seen in their steps as Senku grabbed one of the many petrified birds of the shelves as well as a small jar of the revival fluid and headed outside of the shed to test the liquid onto the bird with both you and Taiju following closely behind. 

Placing the petrified creature gently on the ground, Senku began pouring the revival fluid over it. “Let me teach you, big oaf, and (Name)…It’s not that there are things that science can’t explain.”

Just as he said that there was a crack sound, louder this time around, coming from the bird’s eye. Both you and Taiju watched with bated breath as another crack sounded. 

“You look for the rules behind those things.”

_Crack._

“Science is just the name for the steady, pain-in-the-ass effort that goes into doing it.”

_Crack._

There was a hitch in your breath as the stone finally gave way to reveal a beady black eye before the rest of the petrification on the bird’s body cracked into smaller pieces and finally, a beautiful swallow broke free and took off into the cloudless, blue sky. 

Its sweet chirp filled the air as everyone’s eyes trailed after the flying bird, its wings flapping and bringing the bird to higher heights. As the swallow flew in circles over your heads, Taiju let out a shout of awe – brown eyes glistening with unshed tears. 

“Amazing…” You whispered in amazement, your own heart soaring with hope like the swallow flying through the air. “Senku, you did it!”

The scientist behind all of this released a sigh as he sat down on the edge of the stove, muttering to himself. “On year since I started experimenting. It didn’t take as long as I thought.”

You watched in fondness as he lifted his head towards the sky, the sun beating warmly down on his face. “It’s a slow but steady effort. I’m going to beat fantasy with science.” 

The confident smile on his face filled you a sense of pride as you silently agreed with his sentiment. It took one long year before any of you achieved result. It was a long and hard year, but it eventually paid off like you knew it would. 

As mentioned before, the hard work would eventually be worth it all because now, hope for humanity was within the grasp of all of your hands.


	4. King of The Stone World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this chapter is the longest I have ever written in my life :/

**Chapter 3 - King of The Stone World**

“So, Senku, who are we reviving first?” Taiju questioned, looking serious for once. 

“We’re going to wake up everyone eventually. What does it matter who we start with?” Senku responded before deciding to add an afterthought. “Although it would suck if we woke up a murderer right off the bat.”

“I really wish you won’t joke about something like that, Senku.” You shuddered at the thought of it, the eerie chuckles coming from the scientist wasn’t helping either. 

“I’m merely stating a possibility. Don’t have to get so worked up over it.” Senku shrugged as though he wasn’t bothered despite the smirk on his face said otherwise. 

You crossed your arms over your chest and glared at your green-haired friend for the unnecessary scare. The smug grin on his face just simply widened even more, unaffected by your pointed glower directed at him. 

Meanwhile, Taiju contemplated his friend’s words with a frown before accepting that he had a point and it was probably for the best if they approached this delicate issue with caution, although he didn’t seem too happy about it. “I see.”

Both of you noticed the other’s downcast expression and exchanged glances with each other, knowing exactly who he had in mind to revive first. 

Letting out a sigh, Senku rose to his feet, dusted his pants off and said in a bored tone. “I don’t feel like choosing who we wake up. Do you, (Name)?”

“Nope!” You shook your head and smiled sheepishly, scratching lightly at your blushing cheeks. “Other than the two of you and Yuzuriha, I don’t have anyone else in life. Besides, I grew up without knowing who my parents are, so it doesn’t really matter to me who we choose to revive.”

“That explains why you’re always clinging onto me and I can never get rid of you, no matter how hard I try,” Senku muttered at the revelation. 

“Hey!” You cried out in indignation, slightly offended that the green-haired scientist thought of you this way. “I’m awesome to be around!”

As you sulked away in one corner, Senku’s lips curled into a smirk and pointed at the taller male with a finger. “You heard both of us. So, Taiju, it’s your choice.”

Brown eyes widened in surprise, not expecting that at all but he quickly recovered and returned Senku’s grin with a smile of his own. “Thanks, Senku, (Name). My answer is obvious.”

The corners of your lips lifted into a fond smile, pleased to see your brown-haired friend back to his usual perky self. With that, the three of you grabbed the jar of revival fluid and made your way towards the camphor tree where it had protected Yuzuriha from Mother Nature all these years. 

**Time skipped**

Soon, the trio of friends arrived at the tree and stared at the sight of their friend’s stone body leaning against its thick trunk, covered in roots and stray leaves. Standing from across her was Senku with the jar of revival fluid, ready to bring back the first petrified human into this new stone world after 3,700 years. 

“The time has finally come.” Taiju glanced at the girl he had loved even after all these years, a rush of hope unfurling in his chest. Not able to contain his excitement anymore, he turned towards the scientist with glittering eyes and hands clenched in anticipation. “That water’s going to undo the petrification and revive her, right?”

Looking at the jar in his hand, Senku replied with a small smile. “Yeah, it should.”

“Yay!” You cheered, delighted at the prospects of not only getting a friend back but also seeing the fruits of everyone’s year-long hard work. 

You were expecting the green-haired male to get started on reviving Yuzuriha right away, but Senku being Senku, he just had to add a pointless comment which left both you and Taiju reeling horror. 

“I tried it on a piece of a shattered statue, and it turned back into a corpse.” Senku’s face darkened in mad glee as he thought back to his little experiment and swirled the jar, looking very much like an evil scientist at that moment. 

“Senku! Why?!” You cried out in bewilderment while mentally asking yourself; out of all the people you could choose to fall for, it just had to be someone like Senku. 

Meanwhile, the wide-eyed Taiju exclaimed in a shocking voice. “You’re so disrespectful!”

Said person didn’t even felt a single ounce of remorse for what he did, instead he explained himself further as though it would make the situation better. “I did try putting all the pieces back together first, but it looks like you can’t save someone once they’re dead. They made a noble sacrifice. Send up a prayer or something.”

“Right!” Taiju agreed and without waiting to be told, both of you clasped your hands together and squeezed your eyes shut while chanting “rest in peace” repeatedly. 

After wishing the unknown person a peaceful death, the three of you finally decided to get down to business. As Taiju climbed the tree so that he could reach Yuzuriha better with Senku supporting from behind by handing him the jar, you hung back and watched the whole thing with bated breath and fingers crossed. 

You really hoped this would work. 

Then, all of a sudden, something critical dawned upon the brown-haired teen because next thing you knew, he whipped around and stabbed two of his fingers into his friend’s eyes, sending him flying backwards while yelling out. “Wait, Senku! Yuzuriha’s naked!”

“Ah!” You were startled by Taiju’s unexpected outburst, (e/c) eyes widening in shock. 

“We can’t! We can’t revive her like this!” Taiju continued shouting his realization. 

“S-Senku! Are you okay?!” You worriedly asked the green-haired teen and hovered your hands around him, wanting to help but unsure of how to. 

“Here we go again with your illogical nonsense…” Senku rubbed at his eyes, in hopes of easing the pain before removing his hands to reveal teary red orbs as he glared at his friend. “We’re in a stone world. It’s kind of an emergency. No one’s going to care if your butt’s showing or if your dick’s hanging out.”

It was Taiju’s turn to glower at Senku as he held a finger to make his point. “Yuzuriha doesn’t have a dick!”

“That’s not my point!” Senku was quick to argue back. 

On the other hand, you let out a tired sigh at their bickering and massaged your temples, feeling an oncoming headache. Deciding to put a stop before it could become a full-blown dispute, you stepped in and tried to settle the issue. “Alright, both of you stop it. We aren’t gonna get much done if the two of you continue arguing.”

Then you looked over to Taiju with a small smile and suggested, “Why don’t we bring Yuzuriha back to camp and put some clothes on her first before reviving her? I have a spare dress that she can have.”

Thankfully, Taiju agreed with you and walked towards Yuzuriha where he lifted her over his head as though she weighed nothing more than air despite being a literal stone statue. “Thank you, (Name).”

“No problem.” You happily replied, just relieved that you had prevented a possible fight from breaking out between the two teens. 

However, your effort was gone within a blink of an eye when Senku piped up from beside you. 

“How heavy is that statue, anyway?” He questioned, raising a brow out of curiosity. 

You literally facepalmed and cursed the scientist under your breath as Taiju defended his love before marching off. “Yuzuriha isn’t fat!”

Senku let out a helpless sigh and mumbled to himself. “That’s not my point.”

From beside the male, you crossed your arms and frowned disapprovingly at his insensitiveness. “That’s not a very nice thing to say, Senku. Girls don’t like being called fat, even if they are.”

“I mean, wouldn’t it be ten billion times quicker to wake her up and have her walk?” Senku tried to explain from his point of view, lifting a hand to rub at his temple in slight frustration. “How illogical can you—”

He was interrupted by a sudden loud roar, red orbs widening in shock as he swivelled his entire body in the direction of where the sound had come from. His eyes fixated on one spot as soft growls echoed through the dense forest. 

“Wait, big oaf!” Senku quickly exclaimed, causing Taiju to halt in his footsteps as he turned around to see what had gotten his friend on edge. 

You immediately froze on the spot as fear began to slowly take root in your body. Your heart was in your throat as (e/c) orbs as wide as saucers stared into the forest, a sense of dread of what was to come filling your heart. 

A tense silence filled the air as no one dared to breathe and remained alert as they observed the forest for any movements, sweat dripping down the sides of your faces. For the next few seconds which felt like an eternity, there was nothing other than the constant low growls coming the animal lurking out there in the darkness. 

This was the calm before the storm. 

Then out of nowhere, a lion head popped out from some bushes, letting out another loud roar and sending birds nearby flying. 

“Run!” Senku shouted as he turned around, grabbed your hand and took off as fast as his legs could carry him with Taiju following behind. 

You stumbled a bit at the sudden pull but soon fell into pace with the scientist who had his hand wrapped tightly around your wrist as the three ran for your lives. 

“Why is there a lion in Japan?!” The brown-haired teen yelled and glanced behind his shoulders at the big creature chasing after them as he ran with all his might, all the while still holding Yuzuriha up in the air like a trophy. 

Senku being Senku chose to give a lecture amid a life-and-death situation. “It’s from a zoo obviously! The staff must’ve been petrified while the door was open or something! If they get out when no humans are around, every herbivore in the zoo is on the menu. And if they go out into the city, it’s a pet buffet!”

He paused to take in a deep breath of much-needed air before going on, “So now they’re literally the king of beasts! In this stone world, humans aren’t at the top of the food chain anymore!”

“Save your lecture for another day, Senku! Now isn’t the right time!” You cried out, (e/c) eyes shining with unshed tears. “Focus on trying to escape or we’ll be next on the lion’s menu!”

And so the three of you kept going, not even stopping once to catch your breath because it would be the end of all of you. 

Maybe it was an unlucky day or Mother Nature was having a bad mood because just when things couldn’t get any worst, the road ended with a cliff. Even if the lion didn’t get to everyone, the trio would have still perished by falling to their deaths. 

“Are you shitting me?!” You cursed as the cliff grew closer with each step. 

You noticed Taiju and Senku exchanging a glance before nodding their heads in agreement and immediately, you knew it was bad news. 

And you were right because the next thing you knew, Senku had pulled you into his embrace with an arm wrapped tightly around your waist while the other held the back of your head, acting as a shield as both he and Taiju leapt off the cliff along. 

Your screams were muffled as your face was buried against his chest, your hands clenching tightly onto his shirt as the three of you fell into the trees below. You could feel your heart dropping to the bottom of your stomach, squeezing your eyes shut and bracing for the worst yet to come. 

Fortunately, the vines broke the fall a few metres before either of you hit the ground, avoiding any serious injuries. However, they were not strong enough to hold the weight of three humans and they snapped, sending everybody crashing onto the ground. 

“Ow,” You muttered dazedly but weren’t in any pain since you had landed on Senku who took the brunt of the impact instead. 

Hearing pained groans coming from the disoriented teen, you quickly scrambled off and supported him as he pushed himself into an upright position. Before you could check on him, a cacophony of many loud roars rang throughout the forest, causing all heads to snap in that direction. 

“This is bad news,” You whispered, paling at the thought of having more than one lion coming after all of you. 

Climbing to his feet, Senku responded in an urgent tone. “Then let’s get out of here while we still have the chance.”

You didn’t need to be told twice as both you and Taiju scrambled onto your feet and the three of you quickly took off once more. 

As the trio continued to run, Taiju asked, “Why aren’t they attacking us, though?”

Chuckling, Senku replied, “They’ve never seen bipedals before. We must look creepy as hell to them.”

“We’re the only humans in the world, after all.” You commented while panting from all the running. 

“They’re alarmed, too. But it’s only a matter of time now.” Senku was quick to add as the growls grew louder in the distance. “Even if we get super lucky and make it all the way back to camp, the best we can do is fight them with spears. The game was practically over before it even started!”

Desperateness began to take root in your heart, but you weren’t one to give up so fast as you wrecked your brain for a quick solution. However, Taiju beat you to the punch as he skidded to a halt and threw Yuzuriha at an off-guard Senku who still managed to catch despite startled by the sudden action. 

The scientist collapsed onto his knees at the additional weight and glanced at his friend in surprise. You came to stop as well, having a really bad feeling with what the brunette was planning to do when he stood in front of both of you with outstretched arms. 

“I can’t let you die, Senku, (Name)!” He held his ground despite his heart pumping wildly from adrenaline. “You’re humanity’s last bastion, the only one with scientific knowledge. If it comes down to it, I’ll be your shield!” 

_‘What is he even saying?!’_ You bit your lips in worry at your friend’s willingness to be the sacrifice while the two of you ran and that left a sour taste on your tongue. 

“No!” Senku shouted, upset over the fact that Taiju was more than ready to give up his life just like that. “Think it over logically! We’re the brains, and you’re the brawn. We can’t lose either one! If we’re going to run, we need to run together!”

You could see and hear the despair in his voice at the thought of losing someone he cared about. 

Tears welled up in your eyes as you pleaded for your friend to listen. “Don’t do this, Taiju, please! We’ll think of something together, so don’t give up just yet! Besides, think about how Yuzuriha will feel if she finds out that you gave your life so easily when she has been waiting for you all these years.”

Taiju was torn in half as he fought against wanting to protect his friends and not wanting to them to worry over him. In the end, the latter won and he looked over his shoulder at the people who meant the most to him. “All right, got it!”

Relief flooded your body as you grinned and wiped away the tears that you didn’t even realize had fallen. Taking back Yuzuriha from Senku, the three of you took off running again. 

“You’ve never even hit anyone, ever since you were little. Your strong suit is fitness, not fighting.” Senku commented as he ran behind Taiju. 

Suddenly, he noticed how you were lagging behind. Not even slowing down once, he reached out a hand and wound his fingers tightly around your wrist, pulling you along. 

Your head perked up in surprise and glanced over at the green-haired male whose eyes was fixed on the road, keeping his pace steady. The corners of your lips lifted into a fond smile and warmth rushed through your body at the small act. 

You had been struggling to keep up as your stamina was slowly wearing out, but with an encouraging squeeze around your wrist – telling you to not give up – a burst of renewed energy-filled your body. 

“If we can’t outrun them, we have one last option…” Taiju suddenly spoke up as the three of you ran out into a clearing where a stone body was leaning against a tree. “I found him earlier… The strongest primate high-schooler, Shishio Tsukasa.”

Bending over your knees, you tried to catch your breath as the brown-haired teen gently rested Yuzuriha’s stone body against the tree next to Tsukasa. “Sorry, Yuzuriha. We need someone who can fight right now. If we do defeat the lions, I promise we’ll—”

“Shut up already. Let’s just pour it on him.” His sentence was interrupted by Senku who was standing in front of him with an axe raised in one hand while the other was held out in front of you. “(Name), go stand beside Yuzuriha. Taiju and I’ll take care of things here.”

“But—” You opened your mouth to protest but was cut off by the scientist who had turned around with a glare. 

“Now isn’t the time to be arguing with me!” He hissed between clenched teeth. “Just do as I say!”

Swallowing the lump stuck in your throat, you nodded your head and did as told. You watched with impatience as Taiju poured the revival fluid over Tsukasa’s head, the greenish-yellow liquid flowing down his stone body. 

Just then, growling could be heard and all of you gasped at being surrounded by a group of lions with the alpha standing in the middle. 

“No! We’re surrounded!” Taiju panicked. 

“They’re coming!” Senku added, sweat dripping down his face and held up his axe as though it would make any difference. 

Meanwhile, you had your eyes squeezed shut in fear as you hugged Yuzuriha’s stone body for support considering you were about to fall over anytime with how your legs had turned into jelly. 

“If there’s anyone out there, please hear my prayers and save us!” You sobbed, tears clinging onto your eyelashes. 

It looked like someone out there must be watching over you because your prayers were answered; in the form of stones breaking. 

Your eyelids fluttered open and looked to the side where Tsukasa’s body was, watching as the stone around his face gave way to reveal an eye coloured in deep amber. 

“Sorry!” Taiju rushed forward and tried to explain what was going on to the man who had been sleeping for 3,700 years. “I’m sure you have no idea what’s going on after being stuck for thousands of years…”

The one visible eye gazed up at the brunette. “What’s the situation?”

Red orbs widened in mild shock as they glanced at Tsukasa before looking to the front once more, “Your whole body is covered in stone. Lions from your nine o’clock to two o’clock.”

The stone around his mouth had completely come off as he replied, “Okay.”

The lion let out a mighty roar and dashed forward towards where the group of humans who braced for a fight. However, there wasn’t a need as Tsukasa finally broke free from his stone prison and using the remaining layer of stone still stuck to his arms, he lifted them back before bringing them down with immense strength and hurled the broken pieces at the lions. 

Pain roars filled the air as the creatures were hit by stones travelling at an incredible speed, along with a human’s yelps of pain as Taiju was caught in the crossfire. While the lionesses were down for the count, the alpha male held its ground before taking a few running steps a leapt into the air with its jaws wide opened, revealing sharp, white fangs. 

“Look out!” You warned Tsukasa but he was one step ahead of you, meeting the lion head-on and took out the predator with just one punch to its stomach. 

The animal sailed backwards and crashed against a tree where it was instantly killed on the spot. (E/C) orbs shone with awe and you didn’t have to look to know that the others wore a similar expression on their faces. 

_‘This Tsukasa guy is strong as hell!’_ You gasped in amazement, then another thought popped into mind. _‘He’s hot as hell too!’_

You blushed at all the muscles on display and had to hold yourself back from your eyes trailing down any further beyond his abs. Although, you were quick to reprimand yourself for having such thoughts when you already promised your heart to another. 

Then again, you couldn’t be blamed since you were still a teenage girl with raging hormones despite being more than 3,700 years old. Put a guy who looked like the male lead of every teenage romance movie in front of you and you were a goner for good. 

While you were having a mental meltdown, Tsukasa had chased off the rest of the pride with a single warning glare, letting them know they would meet the same fate as their leader if they dared to even take a step closer. 

With their tails tugged between their legs, the lionesses ran off into the forest. 

You snapped out of it when you could no longer hear the lions anymore. You watched with curiosity as Tsukasa approached the dead lion, wondering what was he going to do with it. 

“You can fill me in on the details of the situation later. But I’ll promise you one thing: you three will never be in danger again.” His eyes were fixated on the corpse as his hair fluttered in the breeze before facing everyone with a sincere smile. “From now on, I’ll do the fighting.”

 _“I think I’m gonna faint!’_ You swooned over his words as well as that soft smile which made him looked even more handsome than before. 

Taiju let out a loud cry at those manly words and turned to Senku with his arms raised in happiness, a large grin on his face. “This is great, Senku! Humanity now has brains, brawn and brute force! The Four Musketeers are all here!”

“Eh??” You blinked your eyes a few times, unsure of how to reply to that statement.

“I get that, but this Shishio guy is way too strong.” Senku chuckled softly, but his eyes were dark with something as they stared fixedly at Tsukasa who was examining the lion’s corpse before gliding over to you. 

Tilting your head in confusion, you observed how the scientist was still staring at you with that unreadable expression before turning it onto Tsukasa once more and it happened a few times, looking like he was trying to figure out something going on between the two of you that was only visible to him. 

You wanted to call him on it but Taiju spoke up before you could, so you decided to file it away to the back of your mind for now. 

The smile Taiju wore faltered and his arms dropped, hanging limply by his side as he questioned his friend. “Is that a bad thing? Isn’t it good to have someone like him around?”

“What if he turned out to be an evil bureaucrat with insatiable greed?” Senku held up a finger in explanation. 

You furrowed your brows in consideration. “Well, that is a possibility.” 

Senku continued. “He’s overpowered enough to beat down a lion with his bare hands. In a world without guns, he’s ten billion percent unstoppable.”

A shiver travelled down your spine as you shuddered at that thought. Even if you didn’t want to jump to a conclusion without any evidence, you couldn’t deny that Senku did have a point. 

A vision of Tsukasa sitting naked on a throne, surrounded by women and gesturing for Yuzuriha and (Name) to join him popped into Taiju’s mind. He was quick to get rid of the vision with a shake of his head. “No way! We can’t let that happen!”

“Sorry,” Tsukasa who had been silent throughout the entire conversation suddenly spoke up, causing all attention to fall on him. “But, would you mind lending me some butchering tools? A knife, or even just stone tools, if that’s all we have.”

“You’re gonna eat the lion?” Taiju asked before a thought came to mind. “You can eat a lion?”

You giggled at his genuine confusion, finding it adorable. “Well, technically you can since it’s not poisonous. However, it is tough and reeks of ammonia, not to mention it tastes horrible too!”

Senku nodded his head in agreement which earned a wide-eyed Taiju gawking at the two of you in astonishment. “Both of you had it before?!”

“Yes!” You beamed, (e/c) eyes sparkling with excitement as you reminisce your trip to Africa with the scientist. “We got to try it when we went to Africa to research Ebola! Technically Senku was the one researching while I just tagged along since I have never been there before and didn’t want to miss this chance.”

“What kind of high schooler are you?!” Taiju yelled at Senku in half-awe, half-disbelief while you laughed. 

A chime so bright, so clear that the corners of his lips curled into a soft smile as he watched how (e/c) orbs glittered with mischief as you teased Taiju, your cheeks flushing with joy. Just then, he caught your attention because you shifted your gaze onto him and your eyes practically sparkled upon seeing the smile on his face. 

Senku could feel his cheeks heating up at being caught red-handed staring at you and quickly averted his gaze, looking at anywhere but you. Of course, you noticed his shyness and couldn’t help giggling at how cute he was. 

Meanwhile, amber orbs softened as Tsukasa gazed tenderly at the lion before him, speaking lowly. “Though it was in self-defence, I did kill it with my own hands.”

His eyes fluttered shut and continued in a voice no louder than a whisper as he paid his respect to the dead, even if it was an animal, it was still life. “I want to give thanks to the circle of life by putting all of it to use. That’s all.”

In an instant, Taiju’s mind about Tsukasa changed once more and no longer saw him as a potential evil bureaucrat. 

“He’s great!” He screamed his elation at the top of his lungs and you cringed at the volume, covering your ears. “Aren’t you glad, Senku, (Name)? He’s no evil bureaucrat! He’s a super good guy!”

“That’s great, I guess.” You sweatdropped at your friend’s dramatic take towards things in life.

Meanwhile, Senku had walked ahead and handed a knife to Tsukasa who accepted it wordlessly before turning around with his back facing the other, he responded. “I hope so.”

“Well, I don’t have even a millimetre of interest in stuff like gratitude, but I absolutely agree with not wasting meat.” He continued as he stole a glance over his shoulder at Tsukasa. 

He watched with hooded eyes as Tsukasa raised the knife into the air before stabbing the lion’s body, easily piercing into tough skin. 

In the stillness of the forest, a kill was committed once more by the same human for the second time in this stone world; acting as a foreshadowing for what was to come. 

* * *

“The three of you built this?” Tsukasa, now fully dressed in clothes made from the lion’s skin and furs he killed earlier, asked. 

He came to a stop, a few metres away from the tree, lifting his gaze towards the treehouse. 

“Yeah,” Senku replied as he trailed after you who had gone ahead to retrieve the spare dress for Yuzuriha so that Taiju could revive her as soon as she was properly dressed. 

You dug around for a bit before (e/c) eyes lit up as they landed on a neatly folded dress tucked away into the corner. With a triumphant grin, you grabbed the clothing and rushed out of the treehouse towards where your friend was. 

“Taiju!” You called out to the brunette as you climbed down the ladder, careful of where you placed your footing lest you slipped on a step and crashed to the ground.

Taiju looked up from where he had been talking to Yuzuriha’s statue leaning against the tree. Turning around, he saw you approaching him with the spare dress in your arms and brown orbs lit up with delight. 

“I got a dress!” You beamed, waving the clothing in the air as proof. 

“Thank you, (Name)!” Taiju was as boisterous as ever as he took the dress from you, eager to help Yuzuriha get dress. 

A sly grin licked the corners of your lips, trying very hard not to laugh at the poor teen who was having a hard time how dresses worked. After failing a few times and nearly tearing it once, he gave up and turned to you with a sheepish smile. 

Giggling at his helpless expression, you took the garment and in no time at all, Yuzuriha was fully clothed; the dress fitting snugly around her curves. 

You took a step to take a good look at your handiwork and was pleased with how it turned out. Nodding your head in satisfaction, you stepped aside and allowed Taiju to admire. 

“She looks beautiful.” The brunette breathed in awe as his eyes trailed her figure up and down. 

You observed the way how Taiju traced a finger along Yuzuriha’s cheek, his touch hesitant yet so loving. (E/C) eyes softened with want, wishing that Senku would look at you in this manner too, but you could only dream of having it. 

Deciding you had overstayed your welcome, you moved away from your friend and headed towards the laboratory where you had seen Senku entered earlier. 

“Senku?” You called out to the scientist as you entered the shed, peeking your head through the bamboo covers hanging over the entrance. “I’m gonna collect more…”

However, you quickly trailed off when you realized he wasn’t alone in the lab. 

Coughing lightly, you slipped in and smiled awkwardly, (e/c) orbs jumping back and forth between the duo. “Sorry. Was I interrupting anything?”

“No, you didn’t. I was just about to introduce myself.” Tsukasa was the one who spoke up as he took a step forward and stretched out a hand, wearing a sincere smile. “I’m Shishio Tsukasa. You can call me Tsukasa.”

“O-Oh, I’m (Full Name).” You stammered and shook his hand, feeling shy all of a sudden under his gentle gaze. “You can call me (Name).”

“What a lovely name,” Tsukasa lifted your hand to his lips, the touch as light as a butterfly wing. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Y-You too,” Your cheeks reddened at the gentlemanly action while you tried not to faint on the spot. No one had treated you this way before and you didn’t really know how to act. 

Meanwhile, Senku watched the whole thing and noticed how you practically had stars in your eyes, looking like a lovestruck maiden as Tsukasa continued to look at you with those soft, amber orbs. 

Scowling, he turned his gaze away from the nauseating scene in front of him and tried to distract himself by pretending to be busy so he wouldn’t have to see the dazed expression on your face. 

“Last names don’t really mean much in this world, do they?” He muttered as he removed the cloth bag containing branches tied around his waist, stealing another glance at the two of you. “I’m Senku, the sane one who’s in charge of science. That’s Taiju, the simple one who’s in charge of heavy lifting.”

“I’m Taiju, the simple one.” Taiju, who had just entered the shed, gave Tsukasa’s hand a firm shake after he had let go of yours. “Nice to meet you. If you need any thinking done, ask Senku or (Name).”

“You already know my name, but I’m the one in charge of scavenging for food and cooking!” You chirped with a smile. 

His gaze trailed down to meet yours. “(Name), what do you usually have to eat?”

“Hmm,” You hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger against your cheek. “We mainly eat wild greens and mushrooms and the occasional rabbit, when we can catch one.”

“All I ever dream about lately is eating meat until my belly’s about to explode!” Taiju laughed heartedly and grinned at you. “Especially since any food prepared by (Name) is the best!”

You blushed at the compliment and twiddled your fingers shyly. “I wish we do have more varieties of meat, but since I’m not cut out for hunting, we don’t have much of a choice.”

“Well, you won’t be living like that any longer,” Tsukasa assured and reached a hand out to gently ruffled your hair, amber eyes staring softly into yours. “I’ll be in charge of fighting and hunting.” 

(E/C) eyes shone and you clapped your hands in glee, shooting a dazzling smile at the male. “I’ll leave myself in your care then!”

The corners of his mouth curled into a grimace as he stared at the scene between the two of you, feeling a sudden twinge in his heart at the sight of your bright grin directed at Tsukasa. Frowning, he glanced down at his chest and rubbed it, wondering what was that all about. 

One day, he would learn that the ache he felt in his heart was jealously, but for now, all he understood was he didn’t like the way how you looked at Tsukasa with starry (e/c) eyes. 

**Time skipped**

Tsukasa kept to his words and within a short time, he had managed to hunt a large number of animals, including boars, birds and fishes. The three of you stood on the beach and watched in amazement as Tsukasa caught a group of fishes with a single thrust of his spear. 

“This is awesome!” Taiju exclaimed, being the most awe out of everyone.

Your eyes literally sparkled at the thought of being able to play around and experiment with different recipes now that there was a variety of meat. 

“I’m impressed!” You whistled while Senku remained silent with folded arms, a blank expression on his face. 

Tsukasa walked out of the ocean and declared with a firm hit of his spear against the sandy ground. “Now that I’m on your side, you’ll never have any shortage of prey again.”

“That’s great and all, but please put on some clothes!” You squealed from behind your hands that immediately flew to cover your eyes when it just dawned upon you how he wasn’t wearing any clothes. 

(Although if you took a quick peek from between your fingers as water droplets glistening in the sun rolled down those well-defined abs, it was no one’s problem but your own.)

Tsukasa blinked his eyes once, then twice before leaving his spoils behind and headed over to where he had left his clothes on a rock nearby, changing back into them. Once you were certain no else was naked, you got down to business. 

While you worked on cleaning and preparing the fishes ready to be smoked, both Senku and Taiju went around collecting branches to build a firepit. Soon, the fire was burning and smoke rose into the air, surrounding the fishes in a white mist. 

“I see.” Taiju began as he stared curiously at what was happening before him. “So if you cook it immediately, you don’t need a fridge to keep it from going bad.” 

“Nope! I’m not cooking it.” You pipped up and glanced at the brunette’s confused expression. “I’m smoking it. Although, I don’t know the science behind it so you’ll have to ask Senku.”

Both of you turned towards said person with expectant eyes, waiting for his explanation. With a sigh, Senku spoke up in a bored tone. “(Name)’s using the aldehydes in the smoke to kill the microbes.”

“By doing so, we’re preserving the fishes. Am I right?” You stole a glance at Senku whose lips lifted into a fond smile as he ruffled your hair. 

“You’re 10 billion times right.”

You preened at his praise and leaned into his touch, your cheeks pinking at the rare affection coming from the male. As you enjoyed the attention, you couldn’t help thinking that you preferred Senku’s touch over Tsukasa’s because while the latter felt nice, the former sent warmth through your chest. 

On top of that, the scientist was the one your heart yearned for and not the fighter. 

Your eyes fluttered open, which you didn’t even realize had slid shut under Senku’s ministration, when you heard your name being mentioned by Tsukasa. 

“If (Name) and I work together, we’ll have plenty of preserved food.” The brunette noted with a pleased smile before marching off to somewhere. 

Getting onto his feet, Senku cracked his neck left and right as he spoke up. “Now we can finally take the first step toward civilization.”

Taiju who had been inhaling the scent of smoked fish all this while suddenly froze at what his friend had say. “We were still at step zero?!”

“Really?” You frowned at that revelation. “I thought we were making progress.”

Just then, Tsukasa, who came to a stop in front of a rock, caught your attention, along with everyone else. All eyes turned to him and wondered what was he up to, but Taiju was the one who voiced his curiosity out loud. 

“Hey, Tsukasa, what’s wrong?”

The brown-haired male gave no reply and instead, he let out a yell and punched the rock with one hard blow, causing a clean split right down the middle. The three of you were startled by what just happened, shocked that he was able to break the rock with just a single fist. 

The two pieces of rock fell away to reveal a stone body which Tsukasa picked up with the very same hands that had killed a full-grown lion, yet he was as gentle as a lamb as he carried the statue bridal-style. 

“Sorry for startling you.” He apologised for his sudden outburst before walking forward to lay the girl upright against another rock. “This person was buried under the rock.”

“He really is a good guy!” Taiju grinned and his suspicion of Tsukasa being a possible evil bureaucrat slowly dissipated with each good deed he did.

You nodded your head in agreement and thought to yourself that no way a person who was this kind and gentle would have any malicious intentions. Oh, how naïve of you to think this way. 

After all, this act of his could be just a mask to fool everyone, hiding who he truly was as a person. 

Senku was the only one who really saw Tsukasa for who he was, but he had no physical evidence to prove his point. So, for now, he decided to act as though nothing was out of the ordinary. 

Shrugging, Senku commented, “He a superhero at this point, huh?”

* * *

Dusk soon arrived, flooding the evening sky with brilliant pinks, oranges, and reds as the ocean glittered in the setting sun. 

“Man, I’m full,” Taiju exclaimed as he leaned back with one hand supporting his weight while the other patted at his bloated stomach from having gobbled down too many of the fishes that Tsukasa caught today. 

Turning to you, Tsukasa praised your cooking skill with a small smile. “The smoked fishes were delicious, packed full of flavour even though we don’t have any spices. You’re an exceptional chef, (Name).”

You flushed at the compliment and ducked your head to hide your pink cheeks. “It’s just salt, nothing much really, but thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed my cooking.”

The brunette nodded his head and patted your head, causing you to turn a shade darker and wanting to crawl into a hole and die; unused to receiving such attention from a handsome guy. 

Ruby red darkened with irritation as they glowered at the large palm caressing (h/c) hair, clenched fists crushing the half-eaten fish in his hands. A heartbeat or two passed and Tsukasa was still stroking your head; Senku couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Time for a fun quiz,” Senku spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes piercing at the other male. “What’s the most important thing we need for a technological civilization? Ten billion points for the correct answer.”

His plan worked when your head perked up, (e/c) orbs sparkling with eagerness to earn that ten billion points. Satisfaction filled Senku when Tsukasa moved his hand away from your personal space, focusing his attention on him instead with a contemplative expression as he processed his question. 

You opened your mouth to answer but Taiju was faster by a second. 

“Technological civilization? The most important thing we need?” The teen repeated Senku’s question like a broken recorder before pointing a finger at the scientist in confidence. “Smartphones!”

“Sure, smartphones!” Senku agreed with enthusiasm. “Smartphones would be nice to have, huh?”

Although, in the next second, his eyes were twitching at his friend’s stupidity and he scowled at him. “How many tens of billions of years ahead are you?!”

Tsukasa decided to give a try and calmly guessed, “Steel?”

“Steel, too, but that’s later. There’s something more useful.” Senku replied, his gaze sliding over to you. “What about you, (Name)?”

“Erm...” You shrunk under the attention focused on you, feeling pressurized as your mind quickly thought of an answer. “Plastic?”

“Not even close at all.” Senku sighed in defeat. “Calcium carbonate.”

You blinked, not expecting that answer at all. “Oh.”

Taiju immediately agreed with his friend’s words even though he was always inexperienced about all things related to science. “Of course! As always, I’m totally clueless!”

Tsukasa, on the other hand, understood in layman term. “Ah, you mean lime.”

“Yeah. That’s putting it in terms that a simple mind can understand.” Senku was impressed. “The stuff they use to chalk athletic fields.”

“But where can we find calcium carbonate in the stone world?” You tilted your head to one side with a questioning gaze. 

Before Senku could answer, Taiju spoke up. “So we’re going to be looking for a gym storage room to get something-or-other carbonate?!”

You literally facepalmed at what your friend said while Senku held back the urge to strangle the idiot, smiling through clenched teeth. “Yeah, that’s it. A gym storage room.”

However, he still lost his cool in the end. “If only there were any still around 3,700 years later!”

Taiju hung his head in shame at being reprimanded and you let out a sigh while Tsukasa stood to one side, as serene as ever. 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Senku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once he had calm down, his eyelids fluttered open and he stared out to the ocean, red orbs fixated on the waves crashing against the sandy beach. “You know the shells that have been so useful for trimming your beard, big oaf?” 

The waves pulled back to reveal a brown shell and he picked it up from the ground, dusting away the remaining sand stuck to it. “Pulverize them into powder, and you have that something-or-other carbonate stuff.”

“All right! Brawn duty, here I come!” Taiju hauled the basket he usually used for gathering stuff onto his shoulders and dashed off to collect as many shells as he could in one go. 

You let out a giggle and watched in amusement as the brunette’s enthusiastic yells echoed down the long stretch of the beach, stirring up dust in his wake. 

Soon, the sun had completely set and night had fallen. The four of you returned to camp to get a good night rest, ready for another long week of hard work. 

* * *

Within the next few days, Taiju was the one who did most of the hard labour as he gathered four baskets worth of shells which he then proceeded to crush them into a fine white powder with the help of a hammer. 

With his enduring strength and stamina, he procured many bags of calcium carbonate in no time at all. 

“Wow,” You breathed in amazement, staring at the many bags laid out in front of you. “You’re awesome, Taiju!”

“HAHAHA!” Taiju laughed boisterously and placed both hands on his hips, his chin tilted up in pride. “It wasn’t that hard at all!”

“Good job, big oaf.” Senku complimented his friend and turning his attention onto the bags of calcium carbonate, red orbs twinkling with excitement. ”Nothing’s as exhilarating as calcium carbonate.”

Chuckling at his eagerness, you asked, “So, what exactly are you gonna use the calcium carbonate for?”

“There are four insanely useful ways to use it.” The scientist held up four fingers and began to explain each way. “First agriculture. We use it to blow away all the hydrogen ions. In other words, it upgrades the soil. Second, construction. Cook it together with sand, and you have mortar. Mortar is basic cement. We can build huge furnaces and houses. Third, soap. Gather sodium carbonate from seaweed, mix it with oil and the reaction creates soap.”

You were reeling from all the information Senku just shared, the knowledge overloading your brain. “T-That’s a lot to take in!”

“Well, you have all the time to process the information as we get to work,” Senku smirked as he grabbed a bag and tossed one to each person. “Time to begin rebuilding civilization!”

“W-Woah!” Your hands flailed about, trying to catch the bag which you managed to without spilling any of the white powder and sighed in relief. “Phew! Thank goodness I didn’t spill any.”

Taiju glanced down at his own bag held in one hand and furrowed his brows in confusion. “What are we suppose to do with the something-or-other carbonate?”

“As I said, we’re going to be rebuilding civilization,” Senku repeated his point, wearing a mystified expression. 

Both you and Taiju exchanged frowns with each other, feeling even more puzzled by the scientist’s words. Nonetheless, the two of you listened and got down to work. 

**Time skipped**

Turned out Senku’s definition of “rebuilding civilization” was creating the things he mentioned in his mini-lecture earlier during the day. 

“Couldn’t you’ve have gotten straight to the point from the beginning?” You complained and collapsed on to the ground next to Senku who was fiddling with a bar of unknown stuff. 

Without glancing up from what he was doing, he replied. “Why are you complaining so much? Taiju was the one who did most of the hard labour anyway, you barely did anything at all.”

“Hey!” You protested, getting up from your lying position. “I did do work, unlike somebody who hardly did anything besides playing commander.”

The scientist raised a brow and held up the bar in his hands, answering in a dry tone. “If this isn’t doing work, then what do you supposed I’m doing? Playing?”

“You know I’m only just kidding. Don’t have to be so sarcastic about it.” You pouted before curiosity got the better of you and pointed to the brick in his hold. “What’s that you’re rubbing your hands all over with?”

“Oh, this? It’s soap.” Senku explained as he continued to rub his hands, creating foams. “As I mentioned earlier, calcium carbonate is one of the main ingredients in creating soap. Getting sick means game over in this world. This little chunk that keeps germs off of us is our stone of life in a world with no doctors. It’s our doctor stone.”

(E/C) eyes glittered with admiration and you breathed out in awe, your gaze never leaving the small bar which could be the playing factor in life and death. “You’re really incredible, Senku.”

Tsukasa was quick to agree with you. “Senku, you’re an amazing man.”

Red orbs glowed under the burning campfire, casting dancing shadows onto the ground as Senku looked up at the other male from the corners of his eyes, remaining silent as Tsukasa carried on. 

“In the moment after I revived, too, you communicated the situation quickly and calmly. I’ve never seen anyone as clever as you. I admire you, truly.” 

The sound of fire crackling filled the air, stray sparks jumping out of the pit and dying instantly upon hitting the ground. 

You watched in silence as Senku said nothing, stood up and walked over to a big bag of calcium carbonate. As he began scooping more of the white powder into a small bowl, he finally responded to Tsukasa. 

“A man who praises a man to his face is full of ulterior motives. It’s been that way for ten billion years.” He glanced over to the brunette standing behind him with narrowed eyes, his tone dark with something. “What’s your point?”

You shivered at the coldness reflected in those glowing ruby red, however, you continued to say nothing; not wanting to interfere. 

For a second, something akin to surprise flashed across Tsukasa’s face before his expression shifted into his usual smile. “Oh, dear. I really didn’t mean anything by it. I had a feeling you might be able to build modern civilization from scratch. Yes. That’s all I wanted to say.” 

He finished off, a shadow falling across his face as amber eyes flashed with an unknown look. 

Uneasiness settled deep into your bones and you shifted closer to Senku, practically hiding his larger frame. Senku, who had not taken his eyes off Tsukasa the entire time, noticed your discomfort and wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. 

Tsukasa said nothing and the two of them continuing staring at each other. 

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, making the atmosphere suffocating. 

“Whew!”

Taiju’s loud voice echoed throughout the clearing, breaking the silence. He had just returned from the forest where he had gone to collect branches the entire time the conversation took place. 

“So this is how you build civilization, huh?” He placed the bundle of branches down onto the ground next to Senku and stretched his back, letting out a satisfied sigh upon hearing the crack sound. 

“Yeah, one step at a time,” Senku answered and released his hold onto you. He resumed what he was doing before, acting as though he didn’t just suspect Tsukasa of something. “We’re slowly but surely approaching modern civilization.”

Grinning innocently, Taiju asked. “So, what’s the fourth thing? You said there were four handy uses for seashells.”

The scientist was quiet for a moment before flashing three fingers, smiling. “No, three. Didn’t I say three?”

“Huh? Did you?” Taiju blinked in confusion. “Man, even my memory is screwy!”

You stared at the scientist’s three fingers, wondering why would he lie when he did clearly mention that calcium carbonate had four uses. Then, you thought back to the tense conversation between him and Tsukasa and a chill crawled down your spine when you remembered the dark look the fighter wore. 

Maybe it was a good thing that Senku had lied after all. 

**Time skipped**

That night, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t catch a single wink of sleep at all as today’s event kept plaguing your consciousness. Even sleeping under the stars tonight didn’t help like it always did. 

Since it looked like you wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight, you crawled out of your sleeping bag and joined Senku who had agreed to stay out with you after having voiced your discomfort of sleeping in the same room as Tsukasa. 

_“Senku,” You whisper-yelled and gestured for said person to come over. “I’ve something to tell you.”_

_The scientist quirked a brow in question but did as told and approached where you were standing at. “What?”_

_You glanced around you surrounding to make sure that the two of you were far away enough so that no one could eavesdrop on your conversation. When the coast was clear, you spoke up. “Can you please sleep outside with me tonight?”_

_His eyebrows rose to his hairline. “You always slept outside with no problem at all. So, what’s the difference this time around?”_

_You opened your mouth to respond but hesitated in fear of Tsukasa overhearing since this was about him. Hence, you shut your lips and said nothing, begging with your eyes for Senku to understand without having to tell him._

_Fortunately for you, he got the message right away. It wasn’t very difficult to tell that you were afraid of a certain somebody with the way how your arms were wrapped tightly around your body, your shoulders hunching in on themselves as your gaze kept flitting towards said person._

_Seeing how you were shaking in your shoes, the green-haired male sighed and reached his arms out, pulling you into his embrace._

_You blinked in surprise, trying to comprehend what just happened as your face was pressed up against his chest._

_“Senku?” You peered up at him with large questioning eyes._

_Red orbs travelled downwards, gazing into (e/c) ones. “Fine, but the moment you snore, I’m ditching you.”_

_Slowly, like a blossoming flower, the corners of your lips lifted into a soft smile. “Thank you, Senku.”_

_He was taken aback by the gentle curve of your mouth, eyes sparkling like the endless stars in the night sky above. Feeling his cheeks heat up, Senku turned his face away and grumbled, “I’ll really kick your ass if you snore.”_

_You only giggled at his words._

That brought you back to the present. 

“Senku, what are you building?” You asked curiously, noticing the object in his hands when you sat down next to him. 

Without glancing up from his work, he answered. “A crossbow.”

You tilted your head to one side. “Why do you need a crossbow for? Do you even know how to use it?”

Finishing up, he lifted the completed weapon into the air. “I understand the mechanism behind it. Besides, it’s always better to be prepared in case something goes wrong.”

You immediately knew what, or rather who he was referring to but said nothing about it. 

The two of you passed the time by enjoying each other’s presence, leaning shoulder against shoulder. Soon, you found yourself starting to feel sleepy in the peaceful atmosphere and a yawn escaped. 

From his peripheral vision, he noticed your eyelids drooping as you fought to stay awake. Sighing, he brought an arm around your head and guided it to lay against his shoulder. 

In the softest voice you had ever heard coming from him, he said, “I don’t want to deal with your cranky ass in the morning.”

Smiling, you snuggled deeper into his side and as your eyes slid shut, you whispered. “Good night, Senku.”

The last thing you heard before you drifted off to dreamland was Senku returning the sentiments. 

“Sweet dreams, (Name).”

* * *

The following day, the four of you found yourself back at the beach again to collect more shells. While Taiju was doing his duty, the rest of you were enjoying the beautiful day. 

You were building a sandcastle not too far from where Senku was seated on a rock, staring out into the ocean. Meanwhile, Tsukasa was standing in the shallow waters with his back facing both of you. 

Then, out of nowhere, he spoke up. “We’re free in this stone world. Shells never belonged to anyone. The same goes for the sea, and the land.”

You stopped what you were doing and glanced over to the figure, his hair and clothes dancing in the sea breeze as he started telling a story. 

“There was once a poor boy who tried to make a necklace out of seashells for his younger sister, who was undergoing surgery. His sister loved _The Little Mermaid_. But then, a middle-aged man who owned the fishing rights to that spot arrived and with him, the stench of liquor.” 

He paused and stared at a stone of the older man, a faraway look in his eyes before continuing. 

“The boy who was collecting shells…or rather, according to the man, the boy who was _stealing_ shells, was beaten so badly that his face was recognizable. He was never able to help his sister be like the Little Mermaid.”

Bringing your knees to your chest, you wrapped your arms around yourself for comfort. You didn’t need anyone to tell you who the boy in Tsukasa’s story was because you knew, without a doubt, it was him. 

Silence hung overhead as no one said anything. 

A heartbeat or two passed before the stillness was broken by the sound of Tsukasa crushing a shell in his hand that he had picked up. You watched with horror-filled eyes as he punched the head of the man he was staring at earlier, shattering the neck instantly. 

You froze as the head rolled forward and came to a stop few inches away from your feet, the man’s startled face facing upwards at the sky. Meanwhile, Senku remained unfazed, a blank expression on his face as his eyes were trained on the head. 

“You do know what you’re doing, don’t you, Tsukasa?” His gaze trailed upwards to meet amber eyes; his mouth curled into a dangerous smirk. “You just killed a man.”

“I know that, of course.” Tsukasa replied and turned around to address the scientist.” Senku, do you intend to bring back everyone, including the grown-ups whose hearts are tainted?” 

Without waiting for a response, he continued. “Sure, they’ll be grateful to you at first. But as soon as civilization returns, the rich and powerful seniors will say, _‘That used to be my land.’ ‘Pay your rent.’ ‘Pay your taxes.’_ They’ll rob the poor youth of our future again. We must not bring that world back.”

“This is a stone world. An untainted paradise. We’ll revive only the pure-hearted youth and live in a natural world owned by no one.” 

As Tsukasa came forward and closer, you saw the spiteful intents of wanting to destroy the older generation reflected in amber eyes for the first time ever since he was revived. 

“It’s a chance to purify humanity. Don’t you agree, Senku?” He questioned as he stopped by another older man’s stone body and rested a hand on it. 

You flinched and squeezed your eyes shut, not wanting a second repeat of the horrifying scene from before. A second passed and you heard nothing, prompting your eyelids to flutter open, your breath hitching at the sight before you. 

One of Senku’s hand was gripping onto Tsukasa’s shoulder who had a clenched fist raised in the air. It looked like he was about to strike the statue but his intention was stopped by the other. 

It was his turn to speak up. 

“Not at all. Not even a millimetre. I’m a technology-loving boy who gets excited over mechs and space and _Doraemon_ and stuff like that.”

The corners of his lips lifted into a confident smirk as he declared. “I’m going to use the power of science to rescue every single person.”

**Time skipped**

You found yourself only able to breathe after Tsukasa had left the beach, but your body was still shaking in terror over what had transpired. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes and you tried to hold it back, however, it was futile. 

Your heart trembled as you wiped furiously at your eyes, yet the tears kept falling like raindrops onto the sand beneath you. 

You couldn’t believe that someone who you had thought to be kind all these times turned out to be a wicked person even if his motives weren’t evil. You understood his standpoint, but he didn’t have to murder an innocent to achieve his dream. 

You recalled how those gentle hands that had pat you on the head were capable of killing someone with a single blow and another shudder wrecked your body at that thought. 

Somewhere, at the back of your mind, you noted how easily he could have done the same to you but he didn’t because you were a youth, someone pure and blameless in his eyes. 

Senku, who had been deep in thoughts, suddenly heard quiet sobs coming from you. Out of concern, he glanced over to see if you were alright, however, he was taken aback by the fear written all over your face. 

Rushing over, he got down onto his knees and immediately pulled you into his embrace. You didn’t even hesitate to bury your face in his chest, wrapping your arms around him as you wept in his hold. 

For once, Senku was tender in the way how he carried himself around you, foregoing his usual blunt self. 

“Hey, it’s alright.” He crooned, running gentle fingers through your hair. “You’re safe. I promise nothing will happen to you as long as I’m here.”

The two of you remained in that position, neither letting go as Senku continued to speak words of reassurance; not once stopping his ministration. Soon, you began to calm down and the sobs died down to hiccups. 

Releasing his tight hold on you, he pulled back slightly and stared down at you with a soft smile. “Feeling better?”

You nodded your head silently and wiped away the remaining tears still clinging to your lashes. “Mn. Thanks, Senku.”

“You’re such a cry baby.” Senku teased, back to his usual self. Despite that, not once had he stopped stroking your hair even when you were no longer crying. 

You swatted his hands away before turning your body away from him and folded your arms across your chest, as you stuck out the bottom of your mouth into a pout. “You’re so mean.”

The scientist chuckled, rewarding a small curl of your lips. 

There were still traces of fear lingering in your heart, but you knew that there was truly nothing to be afraid of as long as you have Senku by your side.


	5. Weapons of Science

**Chapter 4 - Weapons of Science**

“So, what are we gonna do now?” You asked, glancing at Senku with concern etched all over your face. 

Now that you had calm down, Tsukasa being bad news was starting to get to you. If nothing was done about it while you still had the chance, it would be game over for humanity before it even started. 

“This guys is seriously bad news.” Senku frowned as he paced back and forth on the sand, a deep furrow between his brows. “Then again, if we hadn’t woken him up, we would’ve been killed by the lions. I guess we didn’t really have a choice. He wants to help out the youth, too, so I’m sure he’ll stay under control until he learns the recipe for the revival fluid.”

“That’s true,” You nodded your head in agreement. “But how are we exactly gonna stop him from getting his hands on the recipe?”

Ruby red flashed with determination as the scientist wore his trademark confident smirk. “Even if it kills me, I have to keep quiet about the miracle fluid in the cave.”

“I-I’ll do my best!” You stumbled over your words a little, but the resolution could be heard loud and clear in your voice. 

The sharp edges of his lips softened into a small smile as the scientist replied, “I have no doubt you will.”

His sureness in you had your cheeks flushing a light pink and your heart fluttering with happiness. 

“Let’s head back to camp before Tsukasa starts suspecting us.” 

Your gaze snapped up to meet Senku’s own. The soft smile still on his face as he reached out a hand out to you, waiting for you to place your palm in his larger one. You accepted and slid your hand into his, intertwining your fingers with his. 

“Let’s go, Senku.”

With that, both of you headed back to camp; ready to face the biggest obstacle in Senku’s goal to revive all of humanity. 

**Time skipped**

The closer the two of you got to the treehouse, the more scared you felt. The thought of being so close to a murderer sent shivers down your spine, even though you were technically somewhat safe considering you weren’t on his target list. 

Yet, the feeling still caused your stomach to churn with discomfort. 

By the time, both of you arrived back at camp, you were practically hiding behind Senku’s taller frame. You were sticking to him, your hands clutching onto his shirt in a tight hold, refusing to be even a millimetre away from him. 

You could hear the amusement in his tone as he teasingly said, “You sounded so brave back on the beach. What changed your mind?”

“S-Shut up,” You tried to sound annoyed, but the trip in your words lost that effect. “Besides, it’s totally normal to be afraid of this situation.”

You didn’t have to look to know that he was smirking. “I feel perfectly normal.”

“You’re different because you’re not human.” You rolled your eyes, only to let out a squeak when you saw Tsukasa from over Senku’s shoulder. 

“(Name), Senku,” The long-haired male greeted, his eyes boring into the two of you. 

The scientist ignored Tsukasa and simply walked past him without a single world while you gave a tiny nod in return to acknowledge his presence, still clinging closely to Senku. Brown eyes glimmered in the afternoon sun as Tsukasa graced you with a gentle smile. 

You had to resist the urge to ran for the hills when you remembered how behind that smile was someone with murderous intentions. 

The atmosphere was charged with uneasiness as no one said anything, the silence hanging heavily in the air as Tsukasa refused to take his eyes off the both of you – like a predator waiting to pounce on his prey within the tall grasses of the wild. 

“Hey!” 

Just then, Taiju appeared with his loud voice, causing all heads to turn in his direction as he came running towards them with tears in the corners of his eyes and a wide smile on his face. 

“Good news, everyone!” He skidded to a stop in front of the group and in his hand, he held up the jar of nitric acid collected from the cave. “We have a full pot of miracle fluid from the cave! We can finally revive Yuzuriha!”

(E/C) eyes widened in horror while Senku’s jaws dropped wide open in disbelief shock that Taiju had literally foiled his plan without even knowing that he did so. 

Said person blinked his eyes once, wondering what had caused such a dramatic reaction from his friends. However, before he could ask, Tsukasa opened his mouth to enquire about the revival fluid. 

“What’s this ‘miracle fluid’ you speak of?” His eyes, gleaming with curiosity, were fixated onto the jar in Taiju’s hand. 

Senku startled, his eyes instantly meeting Tsukasa who was already staring deep into his gaze, a deep frown on his handsome face. On the other hand, you immediately froze, unsure of what to do or say, however, Senku was quick on his feet. 

Chuckling, he cracked his neck in a casual manner like he usually did. “Let’s not waste time standing here explaining it. It’ll be ten billion times faster to just show you. You’d better feel honoured to see this. Time to enjoy the humanity revival show.”

Without waiting for any response, he turned on his heels and headed for the tree where Yuzuriha was resting against, expecting Tsukasa to follow him. 

You regained your senses and smiled uneasily at the other teen before dashing after Senku who was whistling a happy tune as though he didn’t have a single care in the world. If only you could be as laid-back as him in this kind of situation. 

Soon, all four of you were gathered in front of Yuzuriha’s stone body. Taiju handed the jar to Senku who took it wordlessly and got to work on filtering the nitric acid. 

All right, Yuzuriha.” Taiju grinned blissfully, his cheeks painted a light pink as he held Yuzuriha’s body upright against the tree trunk. “We’re finally going to save you, for real this time!”

You giggled at your friend’s lovestruck expression before turning your focus onto Senku who was transferring the liquid into a larger pot filled with tiny stones, a concentrated look on his face. 

“What the hell?” He frowned as the last few drops trickled out of the small jar and into the pot below. “This is just short of enough revival fluid for one person.”

“What?!” Taiju startled and released his hold on Yuzuriha, her stone body dropping to the ground with a loud thump. “Did I take it out too soon?!”

You furrowed your brows in worried. “Do you want me to go and fetch some more?”

“You’re too slow.” Senku was quick to reject the idea and instructed Taiju to go instead. “Tsukasa, (Name) and I will play word games or something while you go get more. So make a mad dash, big oaf.” 

You saw how his gaze slid over to Tsukasa who was placing his spear against the weapon rack and immediately, you caught on to what he was trying to do. So, you played along. 

“Yeap, you should be the one to get it since you’re faster than me like what Senku said.” You smiled embarrassedly, rubbing the back of your neck. “I’ll also probably just end up tripping over a rock or something and spill everything which will be a huge waste.”

The scientist’s lips curled into a teasing smirk, but his eyes told a different story as they gleamed with pride. “Finally admitting you’re a clumsy ass, huh.”

Your heart raced upon seeing the emotion reflected in those ruby red you loved; but on the outside, you stuck the bottom of your lips out into a small pout. “No, I’m not. I’m just stating it as a possibility.”

“Thanks! I’ll be right back! I’ll go full speed!” Taiju instantly took off after that. 

However, he was quickly stopped by Tsukasa who had been listening all this while despite not looking like it. You watched with a wide-eyed expression as his hand shot out and grabbed onto the brunette by his shoulder, halting him in his tracks. 

You knew it was Senku’s intention to capture the long-haired teen’s interest, but man, you didn’t expect him to fall for his trap that easily. You thought he was slightly smarter than that, considering anyone could see he was being cautious of Senku’s every move. 

“In that case, I’ll go, since I’m the fastest.” He suggested calmly. “So would you mind telling me where the miracle fluid is?”

There was a pause as Senku didn’t reply immediately and neither did anyone else tried to fill the silence with meaningless words. Finally, after a few intense minutes or so had passed, Senku pointed towards the forest where the cave was located. 

“Not too far from here, there’s a cave where you can find the miracle liquid in.” 

Nodding his head, Tsukasa released Taiju and turned on his heels, setting off into the forest without another single word. 

You were trying to keep count of how much time had passed since Tsukasa left when Senku let out a yawn and stretched his arms while asking, “Did Tsukasa leave?”

“Yeah, in the blink of an eye,” Taiju responded from where he had been adjusting Yuzuriha into a comfortable position after letting go of her so suddenly earlier on. “He’s as fast as you’d thi—”

“(Name), quickly go to the laboratory and grab me a jar of liquor!” Senku spoke up in a serious tone, cutting off Taiju mid-sentence. “Let’s make the revival fluid and bring Yuzuriha back right away, while Tsukasa isn’t here.”

“R-Right!” You dashed off to retrieve said item from the wooden shed and handed it over to the scientist who wasted no time in mixing both the nitric acid and liquor together to make the revival fluid.

“What’s going on?” Taiju questioned, his eyes wild with panic and confusion. “You just said there wasn’t quite enough revival fluid!”

“Do you really think Senku would set out a pot that was the wrong size?” You replied, watching with nervousness as Senku stirred the mixed liquid with a wooden stick upon entering the laboratory, his brow furrowing in concentration. “It’s not like him to make a mistake.”

“Good point!” Taiju agreed, but he was quick to ask again. “Then why did Senku send Tsukasa after it?”

This time the scientist was the one who answered, pausing in what he was doing as he glanced back at his friend. “It was double-edged bait. I wanted to get rid of him before reviving Yuzuriha, even if it meant revealing where the cave was which (Name) was quick to figure out what I was planning.”

“Eh, it wasn’t that hard to guess what you were up to.” You smiled sheepishly. 

Taiju, who was still confused because he had been kept in the dark this whole time, asked another question. “Why do you want to get rid of Tsukasa? He’s a good guy!” 

“That’s why he’s too much to handle,” Senku replied in a frustrated tone, surprising the brunette. “I don’t have even one millimetre of interest in his grand vision for a ‘mighty world’. I find civilization-building games more exhilarating.”

Brown eyes blinked once, then twice before they turned to you. “What’s your take on this?”

“H-Huh?” You startled, not expecting Taiju to ask for your opinion and besides, you weren’t sure if he would like your answer. However, you still answered either way. “I-I mean his vision isn’t evil per se since he did have a point if you had been there to hear it for yourself. However, I don’t agree with his motive in wanting to achieve that. Besides, it sounds kinda boring and rebuilding civilization with Senku sounds way more fun.”

The corners of his lips slowly lifted into a lazy smirk as he met your gaze, ruby burning into (e/c). “You heard her. So, what do you say, big oaf?”

Taiju understood and straightened his body, replying, “All right. You don’t need to explain. Senku, (Name), I trust what you say. Something happened while I was gone, didn’t it?” 

“Yeah.” A shadow fell over Senku’s eyes. “Shishio Tsukasa is a good guy… and a murderer.”

A shiver crawled down your spine upon hearing the darkness in the scientist’s tone and you couldn’t help but agreed wholeheartedly. After all, you had seen it in action.

* * *

Once the revival fluid was ready, the three of you headed out of the laboratory and towards where Yuzuriha’s stone body was. Senku handed the small jar over to Taiju for him to do the honour since he would finally be reuniting with the girl he had waited for over 3,700 years. 

You could already feel yourself becoming emotional over their soon-to-be reunion. It would be like a scene out of a romance novel that you had always love reading. 

“Yuzuriha…Sorry to keep you waiting.” Taiju felt himself choking up slightly with emotions, unable to continue. “I…I…”

His hands, clutched tightly around the jar, were trembling as he raised it towards the female’s head, hesitant in his action. “I…”

Just then, running footsteps could be heard in the distance and it sounded closer with each step. You whipped your head around quickly, thinking it was Tsukasa who had returned from his trip to the cave, but it turned out to be Senku running at full speed towards Taiju. 

Beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his face, an urgent tone to his voice as he exclaimed, “I told you we’re in a hurry, you big oaf!”

He came to a stop in front of Taiju and finished the job for him by forcefully tipping the jar over, causing the revival fluid to spill messily all over the top of Yuzuriha’s head. 

Both yours and Taiju’s mouths dropped, not expecting that at all. 

“Senku!” You cried out in indignation and Taiju turned onto his friend, yelling in his face. “You just dumped it all over her! Couldn’t you be a bit more, like…you know!”

You literally facepalmed while the two of them bickered in the background. 

Taiju turned his attention onto Yuzuriha and noticed how the liquid dripped down her front hair in tiny droplets, yet the stone wasn’t decaying as it should be. He immediately grew concerned and started to have a mini freak-out. “Wait, nothing’s happening! Is this all right?! No, it’s all right, Yuzuriha! But is this all right?!”

Even you were puzzled, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong since the revival fluid had on Tsukasa. Furrowing your brows, you asked with a tilt of your head. “Why isn’t it working? Did we perhaps make a mistake during the mixing process?”

“It takes time for the reaction to happen.” He side glanced at Yuzuriha where nothing was still happening. “This is a kind of cryostasis. It’s like a protective coat made from trace metals in the body. Some mysterious mechanism causes those elements to phase-shift, maintaining a petrified state.”

“That’s complicated! Seriously complicated!” Taiju complained and you agreed, your mind spinning with all the scientific terms Senku had just used. 

In typical Senku fashion, he gave zero shit about the massive headache he was causing his friends and simply went on. “It’s just a hypothesis, based on a whole year of painstaking experiments. The point is, if even one part of it gets nital on it and breaks down…”

Suddenly, the sound of stone breaking could be heard and both you and Taiju whipped your heads towards Yuzuriha, breaths stilling with anticipation. A second passed before more cracks began to occur, earning startled gasps both of you.

“…it creates a cascade effect that travels across the entire body. And the petrification is undone.”

Just as Senku finished his explanation, the stone encasing Yuzuriha finally shattered into tiny pieces. (E/C) orbs shone with unshed tears as you lifted both hands to cover your mouth, your heart singing with joy; filled to the brim with unadulterated love for both your friends.

It was a magnificent sight to behold, one you would surely remember. You watched, unable to tear your eyes away, as all the stone broke away and she fell backwards and Taiju was quick to catch her in his arms. 

“Yuzuriha, can you hear me? Yuzuhira!” Taiju called out, his tears overflowing his shining brown orbs. 

The girl in his arms regained her consciousness and as her eyelids fluttered open to reveal glittering eyes, she called his name in a soft voice. “Taiju-kun?”

Taiju fell onto his knees as he instantly apologised to Yuzuriha for having made her wait so long for him. “I’m sorry. I made you wait for 3,700 years…I’m sorry!”

Your heart was filled with warmth, a gentle smile appearing on your face as you witnessed the scene before you, knowing that your friend’s hard work for the past year had finally paid off. 

You were also reminded of a certain someone who made it all possible and a wave of gratitude washed over you. Tilting your head over, you saw the scientist standing quietly with folded arms, his eyes looking away from the scene in front of him. 

Chuckling, you nudged him with an elbow to get his attention. He shifted his focus onto you, raising a brow in question. “What?”

(E/C) eyes slid back to the couple, the same smile still spreading your lips as you replied, “Thank you, Senku.”

“Why are you thanking me for?” Senku furrowed his brows. “The one who should be thanking me is the big oaf over there.”

Your smile widened when you met his puzzled gaze awaiting for an explanation. Instead of giving him one, you simply shook your head and told him, “No reason, just felt like it.”

The teen narrowed his eyes but didn’t push further, eventually looking away with a click of his tongue. You chuckled, knowing that Senku wanted to know due to his curious nature, but you were thankful he let it slide because you weren’t ready to tell him yet. 

You would tell him about love and its wonders one day. For now, your friendship with him was more than enough. 

Meanwhile, Yuzuriha had fully awoken now which Taiju was sobbing over about when Senku spoke up, interrupting them with a chuckle. “Sorry to barge in on your reunion chat but make up your mind before Tsukasa gets back.”

His expression became serious as he held up two fingers, his usual confident smirk was gone. “We only have two options. Choose one. Plan A: Taiju, Yuzuriha and (Name), you three run away right now, and live somewhere far away. Plan B: we fight together to stop Tsukasa’s murder spree, using the weapons of civilization.”

“The answer’s obvious!” Both you and Taiju chorused in unison.

“We’re going to fight by your side! Don’t underestimate us, Senku!” The brunette exclaimed, his entire being fired up with determination.

“Exactly!” You were quick to agree, a disapproval frown shaped your lips. “Do you really expect us to abandon you just like this?! We’re your friends, for goodness sake! Have more faith in us.”

“Yeah!” Yuzuriha jumped to her feet. “I have no idea what’s going on, but I’ll help, too!”

“I’m not trying to be nice or anything. It just seemed logical to give you three a chance to flee.” Senku waved off everyone’s words which earned him an angry punch to his shoulder from you. 

Senku let out a hiss and immediately rubbed at his shoulder, glaring at you. “What the hell was that for?!”

(E/C) eyes narrowed as you placed your hands on your hips and growled back. “That’s for trying to be a hero that we didn’t ask for.”

Senku let out a defeated sigh when he saw the frustration reflected clearly in your gaze. “You know that isn’t what I mean.”

You sighed as well and the anger faded, knowing that Senku was just trying to protect those he cared about. “I know you’re just trying to keep us safe, but it doesn’t mean we agree to it. As I said, we’re friends which means we do this together whether you like it or not.”

The scientist opened his mouth to argue and you instantly narrowed your eyes, daring him to. Knowing it would be a loss cost, he obeyed and slid his mouth shut. For someone who was against his friend wanting to endanger himself to protect his friend, you thought Senku would know better. 

“If Tsukasa really is killing people, I’ll—” Taiju piped up but was quickly cut off by Tsukasa who had returned from his trip, catching everyone off. 

“Calling it ‘killing people’ is a really matter of perspective. I’m culling them…” Brown orbs darkened as he narrowed his eyes, no longer hiding his true personality behind that gentle façade of his. “…for the benefit of the new world.”

Then, he threw his coat onto the ground and stalked forward like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. You froze in fear, unable to move a single muscle as Taiju took a stance in front of everyone else, ready to protect his friends from the enemy once more. 

_‘He doesn’t even try to hide his murders from Taiju or Yuzuriha.’_ You trembled at that realization. _‘In other words, anyone who gets in his way…’_

(E/C) orbs drifted towards his clenched fist, his fingers unfurling to reveal broken pieces of stone falling like snow. That sight left you feeling nauseous and you kept watching, unable to tear your gaze away from those shattered fragments of another innocent life lost. 

With that proof, everyone now saw Tsukasa for the heartless monster that he was from the very beginning. 

“Senku, (Name),” Taiju, who was also horrified by the scene he saw, spoke up. “If things go bad, take care of Yuzuriha for me. I’m going to stop Tsukasa!” 

Before any of you could react, he let out a loud yell and took off towards Tsukasa who got into a fighting stance, ready to meet the brunette head-on. 

Your eyes widened and thought to yourself if the idiot had a death wish, willingly to throw his life away from this easily for the second time. 

Next to you, Senku growled through gritted teeth, his brows furrowing in frustration over his friend’s lack of self-preservation. “You damn simpleton! The guy killed a lion with his bare hands. You’re screwed, ten billion percent! You’re forcing me to use the weapon I’ve been keeping secret!”

Without a moment to waste, he turned around and reached for something inside one of the pots next to him, pulling out a crossbow that he had built the night he began to suspect Tsukasa with an arrow already loaded onto it. 

With a quick aim in the other’s direction, Senku released the arrow and it whizzed past Taiju, heading straight for Tsukasa. 

Even though the accuracy was dead on, Tsukasa simply dodged the arrow with a tilt of his head and caught it in mid-air with a single catch. He then cast it aside, the sharp tip striking into the ground from the force alone. 

Without losing his momentum, he spun a couple of times before aiming a powerful kick with his knee at Taiju who, thanked the lucky stars, managed to deflect with his arms thanks to his fast reflexes. Even then, the force sent him skidding backwards, leaving scratches on the hand he received the kick to.

“Taiju!” You cried out worryingly while Yuzuriha covered her mouth, her eyes wide with fear and worry for the brunette. 

Surprise flashed across Tsukasa’s face at the fact that Taiju was still standing before it was replaced by confusion. “You’re the first person who’s managed to remain standing after receiving my kick. Yes…And even more interestingly, it wasn’t that you failed to attack me just now, but that you refused to. Why?”

“I don’t hit people!” Taiju was quick to respond, his brows furrowing with fury. “You can hit me or kick me all you want but stop destroying the statues! Killing people is bad!”

Then, he proceeded to tear open the front of his shirt, revealing his bare chest as he demanded Tsukasa to use him as a punching bag. The trio sweatdropped at his unexpected action and Senku held in the urge to strangle the idiot he called his friend for his stupidity.

You retracted your earlier statement about how Taiju had a possible death wish and instead, decided he really did have one for his action just proved it.

Folding his arms, Tsukasa processed his proposal. “Taiju, let me get this straight. You’ll let me keep hitting you and never fight back, therefore, don’t destroy statues. Is this right?”

“That’s right!” Said person was quick to confirm and you facepalmed, not doubting that your friend really did have a death wish. 

Tsukasa blinked his eyes once, completely puzzled by Taiju. “I don’t understand. There’s no deal being made here. If you insist on getting in my way…”

“I don’t care how many times you attack me!” Taiju interrupted him mid-sentence. “I won’t stop trying to stop you!”

“That girl who was just revived…What if I told you I’d kill her?” Tsukasa threatened, staring dead into the brunette’s eyes. 

A whimper escaped your lips, fearing for your friend’s safety. Meanwhile, Taiju wasted no time in running over to stand in front of Yuzuriha and stretched his arms out, his bigger frame blocking her from Tsukasa’s sight. 

You flinched when glinting amber orbs slid over to you. You caved in on yourself, trying to appear smaller. It didn’t go unnoticed by Senku who swiftly pushed you behind him, cutting off the other’s line of vision. 

Ruby red burnt with fury as they stared steely at the enemy, daring him to take another step. The atmosphere felt heavy as nobody said anything, both Taiju and Senku held their stares against Tsukasa. 

However, it didn’t last for long because, in the next second, Taiju let out a choking sound before blood exploded from where he had received Tsukasa’s kick to the head and he fell onto his back, immediately passing out. 

“Taiju-kun!” Yuzuriha cried out in concern, her eyes pricking with tears as she knelt onto the ground next to the male, her gaze roaming over his body for any more injuries. 

“So that _did_ hurt him,” Senku commented as both of you walked over to take a closer look. “He’s bleeding like mad. We’ll have to let him sleep for a few days.” 

You were still glued to the scientist’s back, afraid of leaving his side since Tsukasa was still in the picture. Your head peeked out, peering down at your friend in worry. “We’ll have to clean and bandage the wound or else it’ll get infected.”

“Yes.” Tsukasa agreed, his eyes fixated on the unconscious teen. “Let’s not fight among ourselves. You protect Yuzuriha, instead of worrying about statues of people you don’t know. And I’ll do what I need to do. I won’t let you get in my way.”

He picked up his coat from the ground and slung it over his shoulders before meeting your gaze, amber eyes softening slightly with regret. “I wish things didn’t have to turn out like this, (Name). You’re a good person which is something I respect.” 

You hesitated over his words before looking him in the eyes and softly replied, “I don’t believe you’re an evil person, Tsukasa because I’ve witnessed your kindness beforehand. There’s goodness in your heart, don’t forget that.”

Tsukasa was taken aback by your words since he didn’t expect you to say such things after seeing what he had done. However, he wasn’t going to give up on his vision of a new world purged of sins caused by the older generation. 

Nothing could change his mind. With that, he grabbed his spear and left the campsite, not once looking back. 

When Tsukasa’s retreating back was no longer in sight, you finally released a sigh of relief that you didn’t realize you had been holding in all this time. 

“Oh, thank goodness he’s gone. That was frightening!” You shivered and wrapped both arms around yourself. 

Senku lifted a brow in question as he glanced down at you. “You really do see the good in everyone, don’t you, (Name)?”

“I…” You lifted your gaze towards where Tsukasa had gone, absentmindedly tucking a stray of (h/c) hair behind your ears. “I don’t blame him for wanting to rid of a world of adults, not after what had happened to him as a child. Anyone in his shoes would’ve probably done the same, especially when an opportunity was so easily handed on a silver platter to them.”

The scientist said nothing because there wasn’t anything to say when he agreed to an extent. Instead, he shifted his attention to the arrow still stuck into the ground and frowned. “The crossbow arrow was moving at over 200 kilometres per hour.”

“He snatched it right out of the air…” Yuzuriha remarked from where she was still knelt next to Taiju, her eyes focusing on the arrow too. 

“It should’ve been impossible for a normal human.” You commented. “It really showed that Tsukasa’s not one to mess up.”

Senku sighed in exasperation before turning to Taiju who was still out like a light and proceeded to step on him. “Hey, get up! Come on! Come on! Come on!”

“E-Eh?!” Yuzuriha startled, concern spilling from his lips as Senku kept stomping his foot on the unsuspected victim. “You said you’d let him sleep for a few days!” 

Chuckling over the brunette’s worry, you grinned in amusement. “Yuzuriha, you should know by now that when Senku says something, it usually means another. Besides, Taiju’s gonna be fine. You’ll see.”

“But…” Yuzuriha hesitated, clearly still anxious over the male’s well-being. 

The corners of his lips stretched into a teasing smirk as Senku continued with his rough treatment on his friend. “You’re not gonna go down that easily in front of Tsukasa, are you, big oaf?”

In the blink of an eye, Taiju regained his consciousness and exclaimed, “Of course I’m not!”

“See, I told you so.” You laughed as the teen got onto his feet in a heartbeat. “Nothing can take him down that fast.”

“You’re okay now?” A wide-eyed Yuzuriha questioned. 

“I’m built to last,” Taiju remarked, a grin breaking out onto his face. “I’ve got plenty of energy left to spare!”

“Thank goodness.” Yuzuriha sighed in relief. 

Suddenly, realization dawned on the brunette. “Right! Tsukasa! We need to stop his murdering!”

With his blood still leaking down the right side of his face, Taiju tried to run off but was stopped by Senku who grabbed onto his belt in an effort to hold him back. 

“Hold it, big oaf.” The green-haired male growled, struggling to halt his friend’s from his suicide mission. 

“I’m not giving up!” Taiju declared, dragging Senku as he tried to break free from Senku’s hold on him. 

“How simple-minded can you be?” Senku argued while you added with an exasperated sigh. “Taiju, do you really have a death wish? We just learned that we can’t stop him!”

The stubborn teen finally stopped fighting back and crossed his arms in contemplation. “Still…”

Walking past Taiju, Senku headed over to where the arrow was stuck into the ground and bent down to pull it out. Staring at the stone head covered in dirt, he started, “There’s only one way to stop a monster in this stone world.”

Everyone stared at him, wondering what that one thing could be. 

Looking over to the trio, Senku finished with his trademark smirk. “Advance civilization and make weapons of science.”

**Time skipped**

The four of you were currently in the laboratory, watching in confusion as Senku grabbed pots off from the shelves and threw them onto the floor where they shattered before proceeding to break them into smaller pieces by stomping on them. 

“Such a waste…” Yuzuriha mumbled, watching with wide eyes. 

“What are you doing, Senku?” Taiju questioned, furrowing his brows in confusion. 

“He’s making it look like Tsukasa freaked us out and made us run off with just our food.” You explained, having caught on to what the male was doing when he suggested for the group to abandon camp and leave before said person returned. 

“What are you talking about? Are we running away?” Taiju exclaimed, feeling even more puzzled. 

“It’s just an act,” Senku answered. “If we make weapons of science before he takes notice, we win. If he finds out first, we lose. That’s the kind of race this is.” 

You clapped your hands in excitement for the adventure awaiting for everyone outside of this small clearing, (e/c) eyes shining with anticipation. “Let’s not waste any time and start getting ready for the long journey ahead of us!”

And so, the four gathered their belongings with Taiju carrying most of them. When everyone had double-checked what they needed, Senku laid out his plan. “We’re going to go find materials to make weapons. Our goal is Hakone!” 

“Yes, sir!” Both you and Taiju saluted. 

With that, the group set off for Hakone. 

* * *

“So,” You dragged out the word as the group trudged through the forest, their old camp long behind them now. “How far exactly is Hakone from here?”

“Hmm,” Senku did a quick math calculation in his head before replying, “It’ll just be like a huge 80-kilometre adventure that’s all.” 

“8-80 kilometres?!” Your mouth dropped in disbelief. “And you expect us to walk all the way there?!”

“All transportations eroded away like thousands of years ago. Unless you’re able to magically make one appear, what else do you expect us to do?” The scientist raised a brow, his tone full of sarcasm. 

“You don’t have to be so mean about.” You sulked, pouting like a kid next to Senku who smirked at your misery. 

“Two full marathons, huh? Five hours ought to do it.” Taiju smiled matter-of-factly. 

“Only for a meathead like you.” Senku deadpanned. 

A fond smile graced Yuzuriha’s lips as she watched the trio bickered like kids when she noticed pink petals drifting like little dancing ballerinas around the woods the three of you were walking in. 

“The cherry blossoms seem different.” She stated, lifting a hand to catch one of the falling petals. 

Senku caught one in his hand too, turning the petal back and forth and started explaining, “The cherry blossoms we know, _Prunus yedoensis_ , aren’t self-pollinating.”

“Which means…” Yuzuriha trailed off. 

“They must have gone extinct right off the bat.” You finished quietly, glancing down at the petals in your cupped hands. 

Soon, the group reached the edge of a cliff which offered a beautiful panoramic view filled with trees and mountains stretching for miles on end. (E/C) eyes widened in awe, trying to take in everything at once. 

You wanted to imprint this picturesque view into your mind forever, treasuring how precious and wonderful Mother Nature was without man in her way and destroying her beauty. 

From beside you, Taiju exclaimed loudly. “Man, what a great view!” 

“Perfect.” Senku meanwhile nodded in satisfaction and pulled out some sort of unknown instrument from one of the bags tied around his waist, closing an eye as he began looking around with it. 

“What’s that, Senku?” Taiju asked, pointing to the device in his friend’s hands. 

“A sextant.” The scientist replied before spewing some large numbers related to the sun somehow. “It’s been 35,970 seconds since sunrise as of now.”

Yuzuriha sweatdropped. “Did you really just that like it’s no big deal?”

You placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and let out an exasperated sigh. “Here’s an advice: just go with the flow. Don’t bother trying to understand how Senku works, it’ll just hurt your brain.”

“Senku counted for hundreds of billions of seconds while he was petrified. This is a piece of cake for him.” Taiju added, not helping at all. 

“A sextant is supposed to tell you your current location based on the time, but the accuracy is such trash, it’s a complete joke.” He grumbled. “Still, this trash is the only GPS we have. We must be around Kamakura, I guess. I wish I knew our exact longitude and latitude.”

“We’ve walked that far already?!” You gasped before just choosing to accept it. “Huh. I guess we really did.”

“Are there any buildings that could serve as landmarks?” Taiju asked, looking both ways as he searched the surrounding. 

“A bit hard considering anything metal is rusted away by now.” You remarked with a tilt of your head. “There’s nothing left.”

Yuzuriha, who had been quiet all this while, looked around as well when something in the far distance caught her eyes. Her eyes widened and all she let out was a quiet gasp which caught Taiju’s attention. 

“What’s wrong, Yuzuriha?” He asked. 

However, the female gave no reply and instead, turned on her heels and took off into the forest. The three of you exchanged confused looks and decided to follow her to see what the commotion was all about. 

_‘Isn’t that…’_ Your thought trailed off, (e/c) eyes widening with realization when you finally saw what had captured your friend’s attention the closer you neared it. 

The brunette, who was leading in the front, noticed something strange up ahead. “That area’s completely bare of trees for some reason.”

She stopped when she came to an open field, panting for breath. “Kamakura’s landmark is…”

Senku was breathing heavily from all the running, but there was no mistaking the smirk on his face when the area they were at finally sank in. “I know where we are. We’re at 35 degrees, 19 minutes north, 139 degrees, 32 minutes east.”

Standing before the group, in all its glory, was a giant Buddha statue. Even though there were missing holes, the Great Buddha of Kamakura was still intact and in good condition after 3,700 years; the only remaining connection to the modern world in this new stone world. 

You watched with misty eyes and the more you stared at the statue surrounded by dancing petals, the more it reminded you of the many spring days you had spent with Senku thousands of years ago. A wave of nostalgia washed over you when a particular memory came to mind. 

_“Senku!” You were grinning from ear to ear as you barged into his bedroom without so much as a knock to indicate your presence._

_The teen, who was working on some science experiment that could rival those with PhD degrees despite only being in his second year of middle school, glanced up and clicked his tongue in irritation._

_“What do you want?” His eyes twitched at being disrupted._

_In your excitement, you brushed off his clear annoyance by grabbing one of his arms that was folded across his chest, twined your fingers with his larger palm and tugged him towards the room’s exit, all the while urging him to hurry up. “Come on, Senku! I want to show you something!”_

_Senku rolled his eyes, but obliged anyway, knowing how persistent you could be when you didn’t get your way. (In actuality, he could never say no to you, but he would never admit that out loud.)_

_You led the boy out of his room, down the stairs, then out of the front door and to the small park he usually frequented as a child. You kept dragging him until you came to a stop in front of the only cherry blossom tree in this entire park._

_Come every spring season, the buds would bloom when the time was right and painted a beautiful picture of cacophony pink for all to see and admire. That time had finally come and you had been looking forward to it for weeks on end, wanting to share this special day with the person your heart held closest to._

_Releasing Senku’s hand, you ran up to the tree and stood beneath its foliage. Slowly, like the blossoming sakura flowers, the corners of your lips lifted into a bright smile._

_(E/C) orbs glittered in the setting sun, turning a shade lighter against the streaks of evening colours – red, orange, pink and purple as they gazed into hooded rubies. “Senku, isn’t it beautiful? I’m so glad I get to share this with you.”_

**_It was one of your favourite spring memories with Senku._ **

“What’s wrong, Yuzuriha?! Who made you cry?”

You snapped out of your trip down memory lane when you heard Taiju’s loud voice covered in concern and turned to see the brunette shaking his head left and right, trying to locate the culprit before pointing to himself. “Was it me?!”

“No, I’m not crying!” Yuzuriha denied, yet her tears kept falling. “I mean, it’s not that I’m not crying…But it’s not like that, Taiju-kun.”

Taiju blinked his eyes in confusion, unable to react. Yuzuriha gazed up at the statue once more, her voice filled with wistfulness. “I just woke up today, and nothing feels real right now. But seeing the Great Buddha of Kamakura made me realize we really are in Japan. It really has been thousands of years…I started thinking about my mom and dad, and everyone else…”

A tear fell when you closed your eyes, clasping your hands over your chest where your heart laid as the memory from before surfaced once more and agreed with what your friend said. 

Suddenly, you felt a gentle hand on your head, fingers threading themselves through (h/c) strands. You didn’t have to look to know who it was because this was his way of showing comfort whenever you needed it. 

“Why are you being so melodramatic too? It’s just a statue.” Senku grumbled. “Don’t tell me you’re going to cry every time we come across one.”

Chuckling, you opened your eyes and wiped away the lingering tears. A gentle smile shaped your lips as you watched the swirling petals danced in the air, saying, “For me, it wasn’t the statue but rather the cherry blossoms. Being surrounded by so many just brought me back to the past where I always dragged you out of your room to witness the beautiful scene with me.”

Senku definitely remembered those days clearly in his mind. “You were so annoying, always disrupting me in the middle of my science experiments.”

You giggled at those fond memories. “Well, I don’t regret doing so.”

The scientist clicked his tongue, but he didn’t deny nor confirm. Instead, he thought back to one particular memory. 

_Senku watched with bated breath as you twirled underneath the large tree, laughter escaping like bells chiming, so clear, so bright that it stole his breath away._

_It was too much for him, seeing the (h/c)-haired girl in this new light. So, he glanced away with folded arms and grumbled, “This is a waste of my time. We see the same thing every single year. I’m going back.”_

_Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heels and made his way home._

_“Senku!” You whined but didn’t force him to stay as you chased after him until the two of you were walking side by side._

_Despite the young scientist thinking that cherry blossoms looked the same each season, he couldn’t help but found this year’s one to be more breath-taking than the previous years because you were there to share it with him._

**_He definitely didn’t regret coming along with you._ **

Senku came back to the present and decided that was enough reminiscing for the day as they had to keep going before Tsukasa caught up with them. 

He broke the silence with his chuckles. “There’s nothing to worry about. We’re about to beat Tsukasa and save all of humanity.”

You piped in with a nod of agreement, grinning confidently. “Yeap! We’ll definitely save everyone without a doubt!”

“They’re right, Yuzuriha!” Taiju beamed before running a few steps ahead and gesturing to the giant statue. “And the Great Buddha just told us the way! He’s stood for thousands of years without falling apart. He really is a god! Wait, a Buddha? Well, anyway, something like that!”

He let out a burst of boisterous laughter, both hands placed on his hips and the comical sight earned giggles from both you and Yuzuriha. 

While Taiju was the idealist in this situation, Senku, without a doubt, was the realist. “Well, yeah, they made the Buddha out of bronze. Scientifically, it just doesn’t rot.”

“Look!” Taiju declared, standing at the foot of the statue with arms extended to the side, showing his point. “There’s absolutely no foliage around the Buddha! It’s like he made it so we could find him easily!”

“Well, yeah, it’s leaking copper ions like crazy.” Senku continued from a logical point of view. “It’s just poisonous to most plants.”

Then, a lightbulb went off in his head. 

“That’s it! Bronze!” The scientist hit palm in realization. “We can use it to make mirrors! Time to upgrade my trash sextant!”

The scientist announced and aimed straight for the statue where he whipped out a stone axe, ready to hack away and get his hands on some of those mentioned bronze. “I’ll just help myself to some of this!” 

“Stop!” Taiju cried and ran down to stop Senku who was cackling like a mad scientist. “You blasphemous bastard! It’s a Great Buddha!”

“Shut, up, simpleton! Go away!” 

The remaining two girls exchanged startled looks before bursting into giggles at the sight, knowing that it couldn’t be helped. 

**Time skipped**

After a well-rested night, the four packed up, left their overnight camp and set off for the day, continuing their travel to Hakone in search of materials to build the weapon needed to defeat Tsukasa. 

The sun was hanging high overhead, beating down on everyone’s back when they arrived at a river. They quickly got to work and made a simple raft to carry them and their belongings down the waterway. 

“That giant body’s actually struggling for once, huh?” Senku teased as he watched Taiju pulled the raft through the waters while everyone helped in rowing. 

“I’m barely fine! I’m just tall enough, I mean!” Taiju huffed as he kept going. “I still have plenty of energy, though! Not to worry!” 

“You’re the best, Taiju!” You smiled at the brunette, grateful for his hard work before turning to Senku who had stopped rowing just so he could poke fun at his friend, furrowing your brows in disapproval. “And you, stop making fun of Taiju and stick to your rowing!”

Senku rolled his eyes and grunted in complain, but eventually listened when you wouldn’t stop glaring at him. Satisfied, you picked up on your rowing as well. 

The next few minutes were filled with a peaceful silence as Taiju kept pulling and wading through the waters while everyone else tried to take some work off him by rowing, but honestly, it wasn’t really helping much. 

Then, the brunette noticed something. 

“Yuzuriha, your toe’s still petrified.” His gaze was fixated on the part of her feet still covered in a layer of stone. 

“Yeah, it does sort of get in the way, but I guess it’s okay,” Yuzuriha assured, not wanting to create trouble for anyone over a minor issue. 

“It’s not oka—” Taiju wasn’t able to finish his sentence when suddenly, he went underwater. 

“Taiju-kun!” Yuzuriha called out worryingly while Senku just laughed like the bad friend that he was which earned another pointed glare from you. 

His head popped back up and he waved off Yuzuriha’s concerned gaze. “I’m fine! Just slip on some rocks.”

After that small incident, the rest of the journey went smoothly and before long, they arrived on land. However, before they continued travelling, Taiju insisted on removing the stone around Yuzuriha’s toes to make walking more comfortable for her. 

“That’s cold!” The teen flinched as Taiju poured the revival fluid over her petrified toes. “Hey, the pain’s going away, too.”

“The revival fluid has rejuvenating properties, too?” Taiju stared at the small jar in awe. 

“No, it doesn’t,” Senku answered, cracking his neck which you noticed had become a new habit of his. “It’s just that the small cracks get mended when the petrification is reversed. Haven’t you noticed we’re still alive even though our faces are cracked?”

As he said this, he pointed to the crack above his left eye. 

“That’s true.” You hummed in agreement, feeling at the crack on your face with Taiju doing the same while Yuzuriha simply looked on in curiosity since hers was located on both her upper arms in a spiral pattern. 

“Let head to our goal,” Senku announced then added with a smirk. “If you want to take a bath in actual rejuvenating fluid.”

(E/C) eyes widened in realization as they stare at the scientist in excitement. “When you say the goal in Hakone, do you mean…”

Both Taiju and Yuzuriha caught on as well, eager grins shaping their lips as their eyes sparkled like yours. 

With that, the four of you continued your journey westward towards where Hakone’s famous hot springs were located. 

* * *

“We made it to the goal!” Taiju cheered, jumping side to side in victory as the group came to a stop in front of a large waterbody with hot steam rising into the air. “Hot springs!”

By the time everyone had arrived at their destination, the sun had already begun to set and the horizon was painted in streaks of purple and orange with the first few signs of stars appearing. 

“Wow…” Yuzuriha exclaimed in wonder as she surveyed the surrounding before her eyes landed on Japan’s past famous volcano in the far distance. “There’s a great view of Mount Fuji, too. 

You smiled with delight, agreeing with your friend. “It is really an awesome view from up here!”

Senku, who was gasping for air from the hike up to the hot springs, reminded the group. “You three better not have forgotten why we came all this way.”

“So what’s this ‘weapon of science’?” Taiju questioned as he glanced back to the scientist. 

Senku grinned as he replied, “The greatest invention in human history…”

“Smartphones?!” Taiju was quick to guess. 

“You sure love your smartphone. No.” Senku held out a hand and motioned holding a gun. “Guns. We’re making gunpowder. The stone age was two million years ago. And gunpowder was invented just recently, around 700 AD. Basically, we’re about to warp 1,998,700 years ahead in civilization.”

“This is exhilarating.” He finished off with his trademark smirk, red orbs glinting with confidence in the evening sun. 

Taking out a pickaxe, Senku began to pick away at the rocks surrounding the hot springs. “Thankfully, Japan is full of volcanoes. Go to any hot spring, and you have an all-you-can-carry bargain sale of sulphur, the main component of gunpowder.”

The rest of you watched with widened eyes as he scooped up a pile of yellow powder and closed his hand around it, holding up in front of him. “It’s the birth of our ultimate anti-Tsukasa weapon: black powder.”

**Time skipped**

Soon, night fell and the sky was dusted with stars of faraway planets imaginable to mankind. Yuzuriha and Taiju had decided to take a dip in one of the smaller hot springs in the area, washing away the weariness of their bodies after having travelled for two days. 

Not too far from where they were, sat their two other friends. Senku was in his own world. giggling like a madman as he collected more sulphur despite he already had a bag full of the yellow powder. 

Meanwhile, you were sitting a bit farther away and gazing up into the Milky Way, not wanting to intrude on the couple’s conversation. Even though you couldn’t hear what they were saying, you still had an inkling of what they were talking about. 

It brought a small smile onto your face when you thought back to that fateful day, watching the two of them standing under the camphor tree in your school backyard. You remembered admiring Taiju’s courage when he burst into the science lab declaring he was going to finally confess to his crush of five years. 

That felt like a lifetime ago and in a way, it really did. 

You brought your knees to your chest, wrapping your arms around them as you rested your chin on your kneecaps and wondered would you ever plucked up the courage to be in that position. 

A wistful sigh escaped your lips at the thought of it. 

“What are you thinking about now?” A familiar gruff voice piped up from beside you. 

“Senku!” You blinked in surprise and slid your gaze over to where Senku had settled down, his shoulder about an inch away from yours. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough that you didn’t hear me coming over.” He grumbled and glanced over to meet your stare. “So, what’s on your mind?”

You hummed and moved your eyes away from him, looking to the vast space once more. “That’s so unlike of you, Senku. Asking about me.”

“The sulphur fumes must’ve gotten to my head.” The scientist clicked his tongue, shifting his focus onto the stars twinkling above him too. 

You chuckled but otherwise said nothing else and Senku stopped asking. The two of you sat in silence, enjoying each other’s presence and a shared pastime; stargazing. 

Ever since you became friends with Senku back in the first year of middle school, you had also come to love space like he did, wanting to help him achieved his dream of going there someday. 

You were the first to break the stillness. “Ne, Senku. Do you think there is a point in achieving our dreams that are centre around the modern world anymore?”

“Huh? What kind of question is that?” Senku snorted, but then he quietened down and gave a more definitive answer. “I’m still going to space no matter what anyone says. Even if it’ll take me forever to get there.”

When you looked over, you saw red burning with passion for the things he loved most: science and space. 

“Have you found it?” Senku asked, his eyes staring into yours. “The answer to whatever question was in your mind.”

(E/C) eyes widened slightly in surprise before the edges softened with endearment directed at the one you loved even if he didn’t know it. However, that was going to change; not now, but definitely someday. 

“Thank you, Senku.” You whispered and closed the remaining gap between both of you, laying your head on his left shoulder. 

In a rare moment for Senku, he leaned his head against yours and his left hand found your right one, loosely interlocking his pinkie finger with yours in a gesture of a silent promise in helping one another to achieve their dreams in this new world. 

“You’re welcome.”


	6. Fire the Smoke Signal

**Chapter 5 - Fire the Smoke Signal**

Senku’s chuckles filled the air as he removed a bunch of charcoals tied together from a bag, placing them down in front of his friends who watched in a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

“We have the three materials we need to make gunpowder.” The scientist explained with his trademark smirk as excited grins broke out on the trio’s faces. 

“We have them already?” Taiju questioned with sparkling brown eyes. 

“That’s great news!” You beamed with delight. “So, what do we do now?”

Senku began rubbing his hands together in mad glee as evil cackles fell from his lips, looking very much like an insane scientist straight out of a sci-fi movie. “All we need to do now is mix it. It’s time for our happy gunpowder cooking session!” 

You sweatdropped while Taiju let out an enthusiastic shout of agreement, pumping a fist into the air. Red orbs met (e/c) ones and Senku winked at you, gesturing to the pile of ingredients to make gunpowder. “And this is where you come in as my assistant lab. Are you up for it?”

Your eyes sparkled with determination, showing that you were more than ready. “I won’t let you down!”

Senku’s eyes softened as he lifted a hand to pat your head, a small smile shaping his lips. “I know.”

Your cheeks flushed a light pink and tore your gaze away from him to glance down at your shoes to hide how pleased you felt, your heart thrilling with happiness. “Mn.”

With that, the two of you got down to work. 

“Ingredient number one for gunpowder…” Senku began his mini-cooking class, holding up one finger as you poured the sulfur into a large bag. “Sulfur, which we can get plenty of at this hot spring.”

Both Taiju and Yuzuriha watched the process with rapt attention as the scientist held up another finger. “Number two…Charcoal. We can get all we need by burning wood. (Name), add a few will do. We don’t need that much.”

Nodding your head, you tossed charcoal after charcoal into the bag, be careful to not spill any of the yellow powder while doing so. 

“And number three,” Senku lifted the third finger. “the last, but most difficult: potassium nitrate. It’ll take a hell of a long time to make this stuff, so….”

He trailed off before whipping out a bag of white powder, winking happily as he held it out in front of Taiju for him to see. “Kukuku! I’ve already made some to save us time!” 

You couldn’t help giggling over how cute Senku looked with his act, wanting nothing more than to pinch his cheeks like you would with an adorable five-year-old. 

“O-Oh!” Taiju exclaimed in awe before it was replaced by a frown over how familiar the word was. Furrowing his brows, the brunette wrecked his brain and tried to recall where he had heard it from. “I feel like I’ve heard the word ‘nitrate’ somewhere…”

A lightbulb went off in his head. 

“Nitric acid!” He finally remembered the mini-lecture he received in the cave as Senku explained that nitric acid came from bat poop. “Miracle water! You got it from that cave?”

“You’re right for once, simpleton.” The scientist replied with an impressive tone while pouring potassium nitrate into the bag filled with the rest of the ingredients needed to make gunpowder. “Ten billion points for you.” 

After which, he grabbed a stick and began to mix everything all up while the rest of you watched with anticipation. “Potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal all go in the mix, and a pinch of sugar as a secret ingredient gives it a little more oomph. This is glucose that I made from grapes.”

Senku explained and poured the aforementioned sugar into the mix before proceeding to grab a log out of nowhere and lifted it above his head. “Finally, pound it until it’s packed solid.”

**_(A/N: PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME OR I’LL CALL THE AUTHORITIES ON YOU! I WILL KNOW AS I HAVE EYES AND EARS EVERYWHERE, SO YOU BETTER WATCH OUT! Okay, I’m just joking, but seriously though, don’t try to do this home. Author-san and Senku aren’t held responsible if anything happens as you already have been warned. Alright, back to the story.)_ **

Suddenly, a movement could be heard coming from Taiju as all heads turned towards him, only to see him carrying a huge boulder over his head as he yelled out, “Pound it, huh?! Leave the heavy lifting to me!” 

“Eh?!” The three of you let out startled cries, staring at the teen with incredulous eyes. 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Yuzuriha instantly rushed forward and tried to reason with the teen before he did something reckless like causing an explosion. “You might be strong enough to make it spark and go boom! Like flint!” 

“Nah, you won’t get any sparks by hitting stone with stone.” Senku was quick to assure.

“Really?” You questioned with a tilt of your head, glancing down at the seated male with furrowed brows. 

Hearing this, Taiju carried the boulder over to another random boulder sitting nearby to test out the theory and just as Senku said, nothing happened. “Oh, you’re right.”

Smiling, Senku began explaining. “Flint is more than just stone. It needs to have metal in it to make sparks. Hot springs, volcanoes, iron pyrite…”

He trailed off as the phrase “iron pyrite” sank into his mind, his eyes widening in realization that when combined with Taiju’s immense strength, it was just a recipe for disaster waiting to happen. “ _Iron_ pyrite?! Wai—”

Senku tried to stop Taiju but he was a second too late as the latter raised the boulder high above his head, letting out a loud yell and using all his strength, he hit the bag packed full with gunpowder. 

Crackling sounds could be heard and as Taiju moved the rock away to reveal stray sparks, a sense of dread filled everyone as they gathered around the bag full of gunpowder with eyes widened in horrified fear. 

It felt like time slowed down as the four quickly retreated for safety but didn’t get far enough when an explosion went off and was sent flying backwards from the force alone. Taiju wrapped an arm around Yuzuriha’s waist, shielding her with his body while Senku did the same with you, both of them disregarding their own safety to protect their respective partners. 

A terrified squeal escaped your lips as you buried your face in the scientist’s chest, feeling the heat licking the back of your legs despite Senku taking the brunt of it. The scientist tightened his hold on your figure as both of you landed on the ground, a few feet away from the explosion. 

Thick clouds of black smoke rose high into the sky which could be seen by anyone for miles away. The four teens scrambled to their feet, feeling slightly disoriented but they soon recovered as they stared at the burning pile in awe. 

Red orbs were glowing with glee over the successful homemade gunpowder as Senku exclaimed, “No problem! Our gunpowder cooking was a huge success!”

“Well, who would've thought it’ll work.” You scratched your cheek in amazement. 

Sweatdropping, Yuzuriha added. “I had no idea gunpowder was so powerful.”

“Yeah,” Senku agreed. “There’ve been plenty of accidents where students were experimenting with it and got their limbs blown off. It can easily be lethal.”

You let out a nervous chuckle. “Well, thank the lucky stars that we avoided our limbs being blown off.”

“We’re going to attack Tsukasa-kun with this?” Yuzuriha questioned. 

The corners of his lips lifted into a smirk as Senku replied, “No, we’re going to make a deal.”

The three of you exchanged looks of doubt, unsure if handing gunpowder over to a killer would be a good idea. Senku must have read what was on everyone’s mind because he began to explain himself. 

“Tsukasa isn’t a mindless killer.” He stated before turning to address his best friend. “Taiju, remember what he said when you went at him?”

Furrowing your brows in concentration, you tried to remember the conversation between the two of them and once you did, (e/c) eyes lit up with understanding. You held up a finger in contemplation, saying, “In other words, in the right circumstances, we can negotiate with him. Am I right?”

“Good job,” Senku replied and you became flustered, as always whenever the green-haired teen praised you. “As long as we have gunpowder weapon, we have leverage.”

Both Yuzuriha and Taiju exchanged relieved smiles, but you noticed how Senku was frowning, a troubled look written across his face. Walking to stand by his side, you slipped your hand into his and interlocked both your fingers. 

He glanced down at the joint hands in surprise before meeting your gaze with a brow raised in question. With a light squeeze as a silent encouragement, you smiled fondly and said, “We’ll get through this together even if our negotiations with Tsukasa fall through. You aren’t alone in this, Senku.”

Red eyes widened; surprise that you had read him so easily but he should have known better than you could see right through him. You always had and he could never put it into words how much he appreciated you for that. 

The words he wanted to express refused to form on his lips, so instead, he squeezed your hand in return and prayed that you would get it, which you did. 

_‘Thank you, (Name).’_

The edges of your (e/c) eyes softened and you leaned into his side, the warmth of his body making butterflies fluttered in your stomach as you responded in a soft voice, “You’re welcome.”

**Time skipped**

“All right, it has gotten a lot weaker,” Taiju commented as he poured water over the smoking pile while both you and Yuzuriha were in-charge of getting more water.

Senku let out a chuckle as he poured another round of water after Taiju, watching as the smoke slowly started to thin out. “If Tsukasa’s after us, there’s a ten billion percent chance he’ll find us.” 

Suddenly, something in the far distance caught your attention. Glancing up, you squint your eyes to get a better look, only to let out a startled gasp by what you saw. 

“Senku, Taiju, Yuzuriha…” You notified your friends who immediately looked over as well and to everyone’s surprise, there was a cloud of white smoke rising into the air. 

“A smoke signal…” A wide-eyed Senku breathed out in shock. 

Yuzuriha whipped her head around to stare at the scientist with worried eyes. “Tsukasa-kun?!”

“No, that’s in the opposite direction.” Senku was quick to clarify, still unable to tear his eyes away from the scene before him. “Besides, Tsukasa has no reason to reveal his location.”

“What is it, then?” Taiju asked. “A forest fire?”

“No, it can’t be.” You shook your head, frowning as you racked your brain for a possible reason. “It’s too well-timed to be a coincidence. It was clearly raised in response to our smoke.”

“You mean…” Yuzuriha was beginning to catch on. 

“Yeah,” Senku replied, confirming her suspicions. “This is exhilarating. There’s someone else in this stone world.”

“More people?” Taiju questioned, his eyes wide with disbelief that there are other people besides the four of you, including Tsukasa, alive in this stone world. 

Turning around, Yuzuriha hurried over to the bag of gunpowder, suggesting, “We have to finish putting out the fire.” 

“Oh, that’s right.” Taiju agreed as he, too, turned around to help the brunette but both of them were quickly stopped by Senku who said, “No, hang on. As far as they know, that explosion could have been from a volcano. We need to signal them even more before they leave.”

“I see!” Taiju exclaimed in understanding, but Yuzuriha, on the other hand, voiced her concern. “But if Tsukasa-kun is after us…”

“…we’ll be doing him the courtesy of letting him know where we are.” You finished, a worried frown appearing on your face as you looked over to Senku who was still staring at the smoke signal in the distance. “What do we do, Senku? Put it out? Or light it?”

The scientist hesitated as his mind raced with all sorts of thoughts before finally coming to a decision. “Light it! Fire the smoke signal!”

Without a moment to waste, the four of you got to work by throwing the remaining charcoals to keep the smoke going for whoever had lighted their smoke signal to see. 

“We’re running out of gunpowder.” Senku cursed through gritted teeth and turned to his friends as he instructed them in an urgent tone. “Throw in anything that’ll burn!”

You decided to stay with Senku and helped him to keep watch over the fire to make sure it wouldn’t burn out so soon as the other two ran off in search for more firewood. “Hang on! I’ll go get some wood!”

Rising to his feet, Senku ran a hand through his hair out of frustration while muttering to himself, “It’s a double-edged smoke signal. We’re letting everyone in the vicinity know where we are. If Tsukasa knows about our plan to make gunpowder…”

He trailed off when you stepped forward and into his personal space, both arms snaking to the back and hugging his upper torso. 

“W-What are you doing?” Senku was taken by surprise as his eyes travelled downwards to stare at you questioningly.

Turning your head to the side so that your right ear was resting against his chest where his heart laid, you pressed yourself closer to him when you heard the fast thumping expressing his anxiety. 

The two of you stood there in silence (Senku not having much of a choice) until his heart had calmed down, the steady hum of his heartbeat resounding in your ear then did you finally speak up. 

“Feeling better?” You asked with a small smile as you stepped back, giving Senku some breathing space. 

The scientist opened his mouth, ready to argue saying that there was nothing wrong with him but stopped in his tracks when he saw the knowing look in your eyes. So, with a defeated sigh, he reluctantly replied, “That was completely unnecessary since it barely did anything.”

You giggled at his words but accepted his answer as it was, knowing that he was telling the truth. “Well, at least my hug did something even if you disagree.”

Senku clicked his tongue, ready to protest when suddenly, the atmosphere in the air changed and the scientist immediately moved to embrace you. Blinking your eyes, you were about to ask what was wrong when you noticed Senku glancing at something, or rather, _someone_ from within his peripheral vision. 

You didn’t have to look to know who had entered the scene and that sent a shiver down your spine as you willed yourself not to tremble in fear. 

Senku’s arm, which was wrapped around your shoulders, tightened his hold on you as he let out a chuckle and glanced over his shoulder, staring at the enemy with a sharp curl of his lips. “ _‘If weapons of science enter the scene, I won’t be the most powerful anymore.’_ You look like you’re about to throw a tantrum, Tsukasa.”

You decided to take a quick glimpse, only for your (e/c) eyes to widen in alarm when you saw who Tsukasa had taken as a hostage and your heart began to race in both worry and dread. 

“You could put it that way,” Tsukasa smirked in agreement as Yuzuriha trembled in his hold, the sharp tip of his spear pointed at her neck. “If you make weapons of science and revive the older generations, they’ll begin fighting over established interests, and we’ll be right back in a tainted world. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty to stop that.”

“So now you have to kill Science Man Senku here, huh?” Senku humoured him, although his eyes held a different story. “America would be moved to tears by your merciful death sentence.”

“Yeah.” Tsukasa tilted his head to the side and went straight to the point. “But first, would you mind giving me the recipe for the petrification revival fluid?”

A quiet whimper escaped your lips when Tsukasa pressed his spear an inch closer to Yuzuriha’s skin, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her face. Senku, on the other hand, stiffened as he racked his brain for a quick solution, the hand that wasn’t holding onto you curling into a tight fist. 

“Senku,” You whispered, your voice trembling in anxiousness with each passing second. “What are we gonna do?”

Senku furrowed his brows in contemplation before making up his mind. Moving his arm away so that he was cradling your face instead, Senku whispered as he gently ran his thumb over your cheek. “(Name), listen to me. Whatever happens from here on out, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

You leaned into his warm touch, (e/c) orbs searching red ones as you asked with a hint of trepidation. “Just what are you planning to do, Senku?”

As his other hand lifted to tuck a stray (h/c) hair behind your ear, the corners of his lips lifted into a small, but reassuring smile. “Just trust me, (Name).”

You bit your lips in hesitation but eventually nodded your head. “Okay, Senku, I trust you.”

The smile on his face widened as he ducked to press his forehead against yours, earning a startled yelp from the (h/c)-haired girl beneath him as he watched your eyes enlarged in shock.

He chuckled when he saw your cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink with your mouth gaped open slightly at the unexpected action. His eyes roamed your face once more before he released you and turned to give Tsukasa, who had been quiet all this while, his full attention. 

Cracking his neck, Senku shrugged and grinned lazily, saying, “Sorry, but I’m not as merciful as you are. I can only look at things logically. I don’t care one millimetre what you do with that woman. There are plenty of females around—”

He was interrupted mid-sentence as Tsukasa moved in the blink of an eye and swung his spear, chopping off Yuzuriha’s hair in another. A sharp gasp escaped your lips as your hands flew up to cover your mouth, staring with big, rounded eyes. 

“Don’t try to negotiate, Senku,” Tsukasa warned, his mouth set into a hard line. “You never buried Yuzuriha. Your best move would have been to bury Yuzuriha somewhere far away while she was petrified. That way, she’d never be taken hostage. There’s no way you couldn’t have thought of something that even I did. But you didn’t do it. Was it for Taiju? Or for Yuzuriha? No, it was for both of them.”

There was a tense moment as realization dawned upon the three of you, knowing that Tsukasa had a fair point. 

Seeing he had the scientist cornered, Tsukasa went on. “You call yourself logical, but you have friends that are precious to you. I have plenty of admirers, but I have no one I’d call precious. That’s why I win, Senku.” 

You shivered at the sight of the malicious grin painting the brunette’s lips when suddenly, Yuzuriha let out forced laughter. Tsukasa’s attention shifted to her as she combed her fingers through her now short hair, saying, “I actually appreciate that. Washing my hair is a pain in this world.”

Then, she took everyone by surprise as she reached for Tsukasa’s spear and brought the tip to her neck as she stared at Senku with glossy eyes. “Don’t tell him, Senku-kun. So long as he doesn’t have the recipe for the revival fluid, Tsukasa-kun can’t kill you.”

Your eyes watered with unshed tears, admiring her bravery despite seeing how afraid she was underneath all that. 

Pressing the spear even closer, Yuzuriha went on with a kind smile. “I don’t mind. But you have to survive so that you can secure everyone’s future.”

Senku closed his eyes, released a deep sigh and grinned through clenched teeth, having left with no choice. Releasing a deep sigh, he opened his eyes and began spilling the recipe for the revival fluid to Tsukasa. “The revival fluid is a compound of nitric acid and alcohol. Filter the miracle water from the cave and mix it with alcohol that’s been distilled up to as close to 96% as you can get it.”

Tears overflowed the corners of Yuzuriha’s eyes as Senku continued listing the recipe, not having expected the scientist to give up such an important secret to save her life. “The ratio is 30% miracle water to 70% alcohol. If you’re off by so much as a few percent, the reaction won’t happen, so fine-tune it using a petrified swallow feather.”

With a pleased smile, Tsukasa responded, “Thank you, Senku. I no longer have a reason to let you live.”

Your entire body stiffened when you understood the meaning behind his words, a sense of dread filling you. Even after all that had happened, someone was still going to die. 

Casting Yuzuriha aside, Tsukasa jumped off from the ledge where he was standing and approached Senku, coming to a stop in front of him. “If I let you live, you would let civilization develop. Will you promise that you won’t do that?”

Senku simply chuckled as he stared at Tsukasa, saying, “What the hell are you talking about? Why would I ever keep a promise like—”

However, he was interrupted by Tsukasa who knew better. “No, you would never lie. Not to science. Will you promise here and now, for all eternity, that you’ll abandon science?”

Before Senku could respond, your body finally unfroze and you jumped in-between both of them, your arms stretched out to the sides to prevent Tsukasa from taking another step forward. 

“(Name), what are—” Senku began, his eyes widening slightly in surprise but you cut him off, staring straight into those murderous amber orbs, despite the frightful tears still present in your eyes. 

“I don’t agree with your method of wanting to give our generation a chance in life, but you don’t hear me telling you to stop. So, how could you demand the same of Senku?” 

Even though your heart was racing a hundred miles in fear since this was your first-time confronting Tsukasa ever since he killed that man on the beach right in front of you, you stood your ground against him. 

However, Tsukasa wasn’t deterred as he bluntly asked, his gaze unwavering as they stared back at you. “Do you still think of me as a good person, (Name)? Even after all that happened, can you truly believe in your own words?”

“I…” You hesitated for a second before steeling your resolution. “Yes, I do still believe you’re a good person, Tsukasa even if you did kill innocents and threaten both my friends’ lives. However, I won’t forgive you for asking Senku to give up on science because it’s the same as asking him to give up on his dream which is something I won’t allow; not after when I’ve promised to help him achieve it.”

“(Name), it’s alright. Dreams are nothing more than just childish hope.” Senku reassured with a smile, but you could tell it was strained. 

Shaking your head firmly, you glanced over your shoulder and frowned at him. “No, dreams are what shape us to who we are today. If it wasn’t your dream to go to space one day, would you have become determined to know all about science at such a young age and using all that knowledge 3,700 years later to save humanity?”

Senku was stunned speechless, unable to respond when he saw your resolve burning bright in those (e/c) orbs. So, instead, he lowered his eyes and just stared quietly at his feet. 

You said nothing as well, your eyes softening from their stern stare as a particular memory from your middle school days popped into mind. 

_Senku was observing some chemicals in a test tube while you sat on a desk opposite him, your legs, not quite reaching the floor, swinging back and forth when the door to the science lab slid open, revealing Taiju._

_“Senku, (Name),” The brunette greeted his friends when he entered the lab, followed by a familiar face you always see Taiju hung around in school but had never interacted with since you were always with Senku. “You said you’d try it with a light payload, right? I had Ogawa Yuzuriha-san of the crafts club make us four passengers.”_

_A doubtful look crossed his face as he stared at the four mini-replicas of them represented in doll forms._

_(E/C) eyes sparkled as you held up your mini self, cooing at it. “They’re adorable!”_

_Meanwhile, Yuzuriha piped up with her cheeks dusted with a light pink. “It’s seriously embarrassing having a doll of myself. What are you even using these for?”_

_Before Senku could reply, you let out a squeal as you held up the Senku doll and rubbed your cheek against it, smiling brightly. “I don’t think it’s embarrassing at all! Look at how cute mini Senku is!”_

_The middle schooler clicked his tongue and plucked the doll out of your hand, frowning at your behaviour. “Stop that, it’s embarrassing.”_

_You simply pouted while Taiju and Yuzuriha let out amused chuckles. After that, the four of them grabbed the things they needed and made their way towards the test site where Senku had been testing his homemade rockets since he was young._

_Once the group had reached the location, Senku got to setting up. Before he launched his rocket, he placed the four dolls of himself and his friends inside it before closing the device and headed to the safe zone, along with everyone else, where he proceeded to set off the rocket with a single push to the controller button._

_Monitoring the progress from a laptop where it showed what happened to the rocket, Senku shared the result with a blank face. “It blew up at a really high altitude.”_

_“Failed again?!” Taiju cried out as he pulled at his hair out of frustration._

_“Well, at least it got further as compared to the past few attempts.” You tried to be the optimistic one as you peered at the screen, only for your eyes to widen when you saw something on the screen. “Oh…”_

_“Not entirely,” Senku chuckled and turned the laptop around to reveal what you saw._

_The group exchanged smiles of amazement at the sight of the four dolls floating through space with a spectacular view of earth behind as one thought crossed their minds; they had succeeded._

“You can accomplish anything through diligent application of science,” Senku muttered and you broke out of your reverie, a small smile forming on your lips upon hearing those words – knowing they were once said by someone who Senku looked up to. 

“Senku, I’d rather not kill you if I can help it.” Tsukasa ignored your presence despite standing in his way, directing his gaze to the scientist as he questioned him once more. “I’ll ask you again. Will you promise me, here and now, that you’ll abandon science?”

This time around, Senku didn’t hesitate as he finally replied, “I can’t do that.”

“Senku,” You breathed out, beaming with pride that he had chosen to stand firm in his morals. 

Closing his eyes, Tsukasa inhaled before releasing an understanding sigh, his eyes fluttering open as he gazed into ruby red. “I thought that would be your answer.”

Before anyone else could say anything, Senku placed a hand on your shoulder and squeezed once, leaning forward to whisper, his warm breath tickling your right ear. “Did you remember what I said earlier? Well, now is the time to do that.”

“Senku—” You began but was interrupted by a startled yelp leaving your lips when he shoved you aside with all his strength to get you out of harm’s way. You were taken aback by how hard he had pushed you, considering he had always appeared to be on the weaker side.

Hence, you landed quite a fair bit of distance away from the scientist. 

Using your stunned distractedness to his advantage, Senku turned to address Tsukasa, chuckling in amusement. “What are you babbling about? You were going to kill me at some point, no matter how I’d answered. To be on the safe side.”

“Perhaps,” Tsukasa answered. 

You wanted to jump in-between the two of them again to protect Senku, but your body refused to obey no matter how hard your mind willed it to move. So, all you could do was cry pathetically for Senku to stop. 

“Senku, please don’t.” You pleaded with the green-haired male, tears gathering in your eyes but your cries fell on deaf ears. 

Cracking his neck, Senku, even when on death’s door, was the definition of calm as he said, “Do it in one blow. Making me bleed out forever wouldn’t be logical for either of us.”

“Don’t worry,” Tsukasa reassured. “I’ll bust your cervical nerve in a single blow. You’ll be knocked unconscious instantly, and then you’ll die. I won’t make you suffer. I promise not to miss.”

Amber eyes glowed with something akin to fondness and regret as Tsukasa went on, a small smile on his lips. “Senku, if we’d meet 3,700 years ago…If we’d met before this planet became a stone world…You may have been my first friend.”

“Maybe.” Was all Senku could respond with. 

Your body finally decided to move as you scrambled onto your feet, reaching a desperate arm out towards the male who glanced over his shoulder at you and whispered two words right before Tsukasa took a step forward, delivering the death blow to his neck with a single strike of his spear. 

At that moment, you swore your heart stopped as a sharp piercing sound echoed throughout the air and you watched with horrified eyes as Senku fell backwards in what felt like an eternity but in actuality, was a few short seconds. 

“Senku!” 

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you could register Taiju’s loud scream, however, it faded to white noise in your ears as you stood there, rooted to the ground and unable to move as Taiju managed to catch Senku before his head hit the ground. 

“Answer me! Answer me, please! No! This is wrong! It can’t be! You can’t die here, Senku! There’s no way!” 

It was Taiju’s loud shrieks that brought you back to your senses as you fell onto your knees and shuffled forward towards where the scientist laid unmoving in his friend’s arms, his eyes staring unblinkingly up at the blue sky. 

Taiju was still yelling his name, tears rolling down his face while Yuzuriha sobbed into her hands, yet you paid no heed to them; your attention solely focused on Senku. 

Reaching a trembling hand towards the green-haired male lying so still; the tips of your fingers touched his face lightly before moving to cup his cheek like how he held yours just not too long ago. 

The only difference then and now was, there was no human warmth and your voice shook with that realization, calling out his name in a tone no louder than a whisper. 

“S-Senku?”

There was no response. So, you tried again, refusing to believe he would be gone just like that. 

“S-Senku, it’s me, (Name). Your lab assistant, remember?”

You expected the teen to just unexpectedly popped back upright, a confident smirk shaping his lips as he teased about how dramatic everyone was over his so-called death; like it was all just one big joke. 

However, when you still received nothing, not even a single breath to indicate he was alive; that was when reality finally hit you in the face. 

One drip, then two as the dam finally broke and once the tears started, it just kept coming. The hand that was still cradling his cheek fell as your head dropped down onto his body where you buried your face in his chest, crying your heart out while feeling like someone had taken a knife and stabbed right through it. 

It might as well have been Tsukasa who pierced your heart with his spear; even then it wasn’t enough to describe the pain you felt as your heart shattered into many pieces. 

Tsukasa, who had been silent as everyone else grieved over Senku, finally spoke up. “He didn’t suffer. I suggest that, as his friends, you give him a proper farewell.” 

Tears of agony became rage and you had enough. You were done with Tsukasa and his self-righteousness to keep this new world tainted-free when in actuality, he, himself, did the exact opposite.

Rising to your feet, you wiped your tears away. Tsukasa’s eyes widened before they hardened when you began to approach him, taking his initial focus off Taiju when he felt a sudden sense of bloodlust coming from him. 

“(Name),” Tsukasa began in a warning tone. “I don’t want to kill you, but I’ll have to if you leave me with no other choices.”

“Tsukasa,” You ignored his threat, (e/c) eyes darkening as you stopped about an inch in front of him. “Let me tell you something real quick.”

The brunette furrowed his brows and his hackles rose with alertness, but made no move as he said, “I’m listening.”

Staring at him dead in the eyes, the corners of your lips slowly curled into a smirk with the edges sharpening with cold-heartedness. “Do you truly believe that there’s such a thing as an untainted world? Well, fun fact, you’re wrong. And do you want to know why? Hmm?”

Amber eyes widened, taken aback by this unexpected dark side of yours. 

Feeling threatened, he held up his spear, its sharp end directed at you as a low growl escaped his lips. “Just what are you trying to play at?”

For the first time, you felt no fear when facing Tsukasa head-on. In fact, you were filled with a thrill of excitement, maybe it was from adrenaline or anger, who knew but it made the grin on your face broaden even more. 

“I’m not playing at anything.” You answered with a casual shrug as a shadow fell over your face. “I just want to give you a reality check that your vision of a so-called pure world doesn’t exist, because even if you don’t revive all the adults, the world will still return to how it used to be more than 3,700 years ago.”

Tsukasa narrowed his eyes, his grip on his spear tightening as his patience ran thin. “If you don’t get on with your point, I’ll end you in the next second.”

(E/C) eyes glimmered with something as you replied with a murmur. “No matter how hard you try, you can never get rid of the roots of all evils because they reside in humans and we’re the living proof of that right now, both you and I.”

The surrounding temperature dropped a few degrees as the cold truth washed over Tsukasa, rendering him motionless as your words sank into his mind. Realizing that his guard had dropped, you glanced over your shoulder and let out a shout, “Now, Taiju!”

With a loud yell, Taiju tightened his grip onto the boulder he was holding onto all this while as you bought both him and Yuzuriha some time to set their plan into motion and threw it high into the air above you and Tsukasa who instantly glanced up. 

_‘Tsukasa is wary of Taiju. He wouldn’t dare take his eyes off him.’_ You thought to yourself, your point proven correct when you noticed Tsukasa’s gaze falling back onto Taiju _. ‘But that’s when we have our chance!’_

Without wasting another second lest you get caught in the crossfire, you scrambled out of the way as Yuzuriha ran straight for the remaining gunpowder, using Tsukasa’s attention on Taiju to her advantage. 

_‘Tsukasa’s instinct would tell him that Taiju would protect Yuzuriha.’_ You continued and signalled for the brunette to wait for the right moment before making a move. _‘He’s right, in this stone world. But like Senku said…’_

You finally noticed the opportunity to strike now and cued Yuzuriha who threw the pot of gunpowder towards Tsukasa. 

_‘Science levels the playing field for everyone!’_ You finished with a confident smirk, like the one that Senku always wore whenever an experiment of his succeeded. 

Tsukasa saw the pot flying towards him out of the corners of his eyes and aimed a kick at it without a second thought. The pot shattered which sent black powder, that Tsukasa immediately recognised as gunpowder, scattering everywhere.

“Senku left us with science to remember him by. The four of us made a promise to fight together.” You spoke through clenched teeth, staring straight at Tsukasa through the cloud of gunpowder acting as a barrier between the group and him. “Yuzuriha, Taiju, Senku and I fight alongside each other in this battle!” 

From beside you, Taiju bid Tsukasa farewell. “Goodbye, Tsukasa.”

Just as he said that the large boulder came crashing back to earth with a deafening sound as it came in contact with the scattered gunpowder, causing sparks to appear just before a huge explosion went off. 

Without wasting another precious second, the three of you quickly made your escape, not once looking back. 

* * *

Breathless gasps could be heard echoing through the forest as the trio ran as fast their legs could carry them, desperate to get as far as away from Tsukasa as they could. Tears had made their way onto Taiju’s face once more, yet he was smiling as he said while carrying Senku in his arms, “That’s right, Senku. You said it yourself! If we need to run, we’re running together!” 

You grinned, for once Taiju had chosen not to take on any challenge by his own, but rather with his friends. 

“I don’t care what anyone says. I know you aren’t dead!” He exclaimed, refusing to believe the truth. “You wouldn’t die while you still have the goal of restarting civilization from scratch!”

Your heart ached as it kept screaming over and over that Senku was dead, while your brain kept whispering that this wasn’t like him; he wouldn’t just leave things as it was without one last trick up his sleeve. 

You were torn in half, unsure of which sides to believe in so you focused on the stitch throbbing painfully in your side, your empty hands clenched into tights fist as you kept running. 

Dark clouds rolled across the sky as thunder rumbled overhead, followed by flashes of lightning and soon, rain fell; mixing with the salty tears that over flooded your bleeding heart once more. 

You were kneeling next to Yuzuriha, hands shaking with uncontrollable fear as the two of you watched Taiju perform CPR on Senku’s motionless body. 

“Heart massage…” Taiju muttered through gritted teeth as he kept pumping with all his strength. “I don’t even know if I’m doing it right. But I have to do it.”

Then, something dawned upon him. “Wait, artificial respiration?”

Puckering his lips, he supported Senku’s upper body with both arms and raised his head while he leaned forward, ready to meet him at his lips. 

If you weren’t so hungover the fact of not being to see those red eyes you had come to adore so much, you would have found the situation comical as Yuzuriha panicked, stopping Taiju in case he made things worse. 

“I think you should keep his neck still!” She hurriedly exclaimed, only for tears to form in her eyes when she remembered how the green-haired teen gave his life for her. “Tsukasa-kun hit him in the neck. Senku-kun sacrificed himself for me.”

Laying Senku gently back onto the ground, his gaze slid over to Yuzuriha as he asked, “Senku sacrificed himself for you?”

On the other hand, you said nothing as an old memory appeared in your mind. 

_“Here’s a psychology quiz.” You announced, preparing to read out a question from the book, titled “Magic Psychology, by Asagiri Gen” which your nose was currently buried in. “Suppose there’s an accident, and only you, your friend or your lover can be saved. What would you do?”_

_Glancing up from the book, you stared at your friends with expectant eyes. “So, what will either of you choose?”_

_“Erm,” Yuzuriha sounded unsure as she replied, “I think I’d get stuck trying to decide between my friend and my lover.”_

_“Mn, I can totally understand.” You nodded your head in contemplation but brought up a point. “But why not choose yourself?”_

_Taiju, on the other hand, had a completely different opinion. “How could you ever choose? What kind of nasty quiz is that?”_

_“I’d say everyone,” Senku commented out of nowhere, causing all three heads to turn towards him. “I’d look for a fundamental rule that lets us all be saved.”_

_(E/C) eyes widened, but they quickly softened with fondness as a giggle escaped your lips. “As expected of the science club president.”_

_Yuzuriha clapped her hands in agreement while a confused Taiju exclaimed, “Wait, that’s allowed? That’s my choice, too, then!”_

_You glanced down at the book in your hands, an amused smile shaping your lips as you remarked, “This psych quiz tells you who is the most important to you. Guess we now know who’s the most important to Senku.”_

_Senku clicked his tongue as he gave you a deadpan stare. “That’s ten billion percent bullshit. That book’s absolute trash.”_

The corners of your lips lifted into a small smile at that fond memory as you remembered the two words – _trust me_ , reminding you of the promise you had made with him – he uttered right before Tsukasa killed him. “Senku would never kill himself. He’d never sacrifice himself, either.”

“He would have bet on some way we’d all be saved,” Taiju added before burying his head in his hands as he tried to recall all that he knew about his best friend. “Try to remember about Senku. We’re his friends. We’d know. There must be a hint!”

You furrowed your brows as you searched your memories for the answer, growling in frustration when you couldn’t quite place a finger on it even though you knew it at the back of your mind. 

Suddenly, your eyes widened when you remembered his new odd habit which you knew he only developed after waking up in this stone world. 

“It’s his neck,” You whispered in realization, earning both your friends’ attention. “Ever since I woke up in this new world, I noticed how Senku kept cracking his neck despite knowing he never had any neck problems from before, but I didn’t question him about it, thinking it was just another new habit he had acquired.”

“I think Senku-kun was deliberately inviting Tsukasa-kun to attack his neck,” Yuzuriha commented, recalling the way the scientist was cracking his neck when he told Tsukasa to finish him off in one blow. 

Taiju was quick to catch on as he mumbled, “That thing he was doing…That’s not a habit he’s always had.”

“Exactly.” You confirmed as you moved closer to Senku and wrapped an arm around his waist, lifting his body up to examine the back of his neck with scrutinising eyes. “Why did he keep touching his neck and cracking it like that?”

The other two moved closer to have a look for themselves and Yuzuriha was the one who noticed it first, pointing to an area on his neck. “There’s a little bit of petrification left on his neck!” 

She let out a gasp when it finally sank in, along with Taiju as he breathed out slowly, his voice trembling in realization with each word. “When we were removing the petrification on your foot, didn’t Senku say that small breaks are repaired when the petrification is undone?” 

As he was saying this, Yuzuriha was already digging through their belongings and looking for the small jar of revival fluid which she quickly handed over to Taiju when she found it. “Taiju-kun, the revival fluid!”

“Yeah!” The brunette accepted the jar and poured the remaining fluid over the petrification on Senku’s neck as you supported his head with a gentle hand. 

“It might work on Senku-kun’s neck, too,” Yuzuriha reassured as she watched with bated breath. 

“It might fix his neck when the petrification is undone,” Taiju added as the last few drops of the revival fluid trickled out of the jar and onto the scientist’s neck. 

“It will,” You clenched your teeth in determination, but even then, you still prayed fervently for it to work within the confines of your heart. _‘It has to work, please! I…I need Senku in my life. He’s my dream, something of which I’ve still yet to achieve. If he’s gone, how am I gonna ever face myself anything but regret and guilt for not telling him the truth about my feelings for him? So, please, Senku, wake up. I need you; we need you; the world needs you!’_

Then, all of a sudden, the sound of stone cracking could be heard before the remaining petrification on Senku’s neck shattered into pieces and came undone.

“The petrification’s gone!” Yuzuriha exclaimed, her eyes welling up again with unshed tears. 

“Wake up!” Taiju yelled at the top of his lungs, having faith that his friend could hear him. “I know you wouldn’t die in a place like this! Senku, you’re…the star of hope for humanity, for civilization! Please! Come back!”

As you gently laid Senku onto his back, you instantly collapsed onto his chest; right over where his heart rested. One hand searched for his, intertwining your fingers with his and squeezing hard, refusing to let go while the other fisted itself into his shirt. 

Burying your face into his chest, you silently wept as you pleaded for the scientist to wake up, wanting to hear the beautiful beating tune of his heart that sang of his life. 

“Wake up, Senku!”


	7. Two Nations of the Stone World

**Chapter 6 - Two Nations of the Stone World**

"Senku! I..." Taiju said through tears, begging for his friend to wake up. "I'll believe in you and wait for as long as it takes. I'm hopeless without you! Come back, Senku!"

Thunder roared as lightning flashed and the rain fell harder, but there was still no response from the motionless body lying beneath you.

"Please...Wake up, Senku..." Cries of pleas fell from your lips over and over like a mantra, as though if you kept saying it, said person would really wake up.

As time passed, the rain slowly began to subside before it finally stopped pouring, dark clouds parting to reveal a clear blue sky as the sun shone down from above. Yet, you didn't even notice the difference, not when your attention was solely focused on Senku.

Taiju was the first to notice as he lifted his head, brown orbs rising towards the sky as he stood up and breathed out, saying, "It stopped raining."

From beside him, Yuzuriha's tears stopped flowing as she raised her head, her eyes travelling upwards to gaze at white clouds drifting through the sky and rose to her feet as well.

Your sobs died down to sniffles as you lifted your head from where it was lying on Senku's chest, your free hand wiping away any remaining tears. Even with the sun basking earth in its warm glow, you felt no warmth on the inside.

After all, there was no reason to celebrate when the one you loved was no more.

However, you spoke too soon. Suddenly, you felt a strong squeeze on the hand clutching onto Senku's bigger palm, causing your breath to hitch as long, slender fingers curled over your own before releasing your hand and rising to his feet.

You could feel the tears returning as the familiar sound of a gruff voice flowed into your ears, like a long-lost song you thought you had forgotten until now. "The thunderstorm that was keeping us camouflaged is gone. Don't raise your voices. If Tsukasa hears us, we'll be instantly screwed."

Both Yuzuriha and Taiju instantly glanced around their surroundings, their eyes and ears on alert as they scanned for said threat.

"You're right!" Taiju was quick to agree, followed by Yuzuriha. "He's not coming, is he?"

They blinked once, then twice in realization before glancing over their shoulders where their eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of Senku, alive and well, standing on his two feet. He let out a soft chuckle, holding the jar of revival fluid in one hand while the other touched the back of his neck where the remaining petrification had been.

"I'm impressed you noticed my neck." The scientist smirked, red eyes glowing with impressive pride. "I hardly gave you a speck of a hint. Taiju, Yuzuriha and (Name), you three get ten billion points."

"Sen.." Taiju started while Yuzuriha finished. "...ku."

"Senku..." You breathed out in his name in disbelief awe over what you were seeing with your own two eyes.

The scientist's expression softened as he reached a hand out towards where you were still seated on the ground, saying, "Come on, you're going to get your ass dirty if you continue sitting on the muddy ground."

Slowly, like the first blossoming of spring, the corners of your lips lifted into a watery smile as you accepted Senku's outstretched palm, his fingers intertwined with yours. He helped you onto your feet and with a quick tug, you were pulled into his arms.

One hand snaked around your waist while the other entangled itself within your (h/c) tresses, pushing your head gently against his chest until your ear was resting right above his beating heart.

Pressing his face to your hair, he breathed out, "Thank you for trusting in me, (Name). You did great."

A tear slipped down your cheek as you nuzzled your face against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat healing the cracks in your own heart. "You're alright, thank goodness."

For the new few seconds, the two of you stood there, in each other's arms as you savoured the feeling of being held by Senku who tucked your head under his chin, his hand running through your hair.

The tender moment between both of you didn't last for long as Taiju wanted in on a hug with Senku as well. Letting out a loud cry which broke the two apart, the brunette launched himself at his best friend.

You stumbled backwards but found your footing while Senku wasn't as fortunate as he was crushed to death by Taiju who embraced him tightly. You winced when you heard Senku's back cracking from the sheer force of the brunette's hug, releasing a sharp cry of pain.

Kicking off Taiju, he was gasping for air as he shouted, his eyes twitching in anger. "Never mind my cervical nerve, you just crushed my entire body! I'll kill you!"

A giggle escaped your lips as you patted his back in a comforting manner, happy to see the scientist so lively despite his near death experience.

Yuzuriha, on the other hand, had been rather quiet the entire time and wearing a troubled expression; unsure of what to say to the one she owed her life to.

Senku let out a small chuckle, the corners of his lips curling into an understanding smile as he spoke up. "I'm sure you know not to, but don't go thanking me for every little thing. I won't thank you, either."

Her eyes watered as she whispered, "Welcome back, Senku-kun."

The smile on your face could rival the sun as they brightened, (e/c) orbs glimmering with pure joy over the fact that everything was alright once more now that Senku was with all of you again. 

**Time skipped**

You watched with curious eyes as Yuzuriha sliced the large back in half before holding up a cloth with weirdly misshapen stars coloured in green and a large rocket-like shape in the middle.

"Don't you think the shape on this hide kind of looks like a rocket?" Yuzuriha questioned, a small smile on her face.

"There are star-looking things, too!" Taiju added.

Senku, on the other hand, disagreed as he bluntly replied, "They don't look anything like it."

"Well, I think it's perfect." You grinned teasingly at the scientist. "It looks like a science flag. I bet it'll look good on Senku."

The green-haired teen clicked his tongue but said nothing since it was three against one and he would just be fighting a losing battle. With a defeated sigh, he stood there reluctantly as Yuzuriha tied the hide around his neck along with a long, thick branch to act as support after recent happening.

Grunting, Senku sweatdropped as the brunette finished it off with a tight knot. "Let's put it on his neck, just in case."

You giggled at his disgruntled expression while Taiju exclaimed in understanding. "Oh yeah!"

"It'll be even better with a splint. See?" Yuzuriha took a step back and admired her work, a satisfied smile shaping her lips.

"Yay!" You happily clapped your hands, a wide smile on your face. "It looks amazing as a scarf too!"

Senku finally had enough of his friends' meddling and tried to convince them he was fine and didn't need all this unnecessary stuff. "Uh, I really don't need this. I'm all better now. Professor Senku's self-sacrificing human experiment was a success."

Pouting, your cheeks puffed as you grumbled, recalling the emotional rollercoaster the scientist put you through with his so-called self-sacrificing human experiment. "Please don't ever do that again. I, for once, do not want to go through another experience like that ever again."

Senku ignored your complaint as he went on, tugging at the scarf tied around his neck. "The restorative effects of undoing petrification are too damn high."

Taiju let out a burst of boisterous laughter, saying, "The petrification that's given us so much grief is what cured you, too, huh? You said it when we made soap, too...But maybe this petrification is the stone of life that replaces doctors for us. It's Doctor Stone!"

The rest stared at their friend who was known for not being the brightest crayon in the box, yet his words filled them with a sense of awe as he changed their perspectives towards the petrification that transformed the world into what it was today.

Senku lowered his eyes which caught your attention and you glanced over with a questioning gaze when you noticed the furrow between his brows and you guessed he must be thinking of what Taiju said.

Walking over, you stood next to him with both hands clasped behind your back and raised your head towards the sky, your eyes squinting against the bright sunlight. Senku felt your presence yet said nothing as he, too, lifted his gaze heavenwards, his mind heavy with many questions but with no answers to them.

A heartbeat of silence passed before you finally spoke up, a hand reaching upwards to the sky and aiming for the sun. "I don't know how long it'll take, but I know you'll eventually find the answers you're looking for. There'll be times where you'll doubt yourself and feel like giving up, which is okay to do because I'll believe hard enough for two people."

When you turned to look at him, you were surprised to see that he was already looking at you; red gazing intently into (e/c). There was a pause as you stared back, your mouth becoming dry at the close proximity before you swallowed and finished what you wanted to say.

"I'm not smart like you, but as your lab assistant, it's the least I can do and I'm here with you every step of the way. So, don't stop searching until you've found your answer. After all, you're humanity's last hope, Senku."

The silence from before returned as neither of you said anything; a wide-eyed Senku struck speechless by your words overflowing with reassurance while you were drowning in those oceans of ruby red swirling with an unknown emotion.

This wasn't the first time the scientist experienced your words of comfort because ever since he developed a friendship with you back in the first year of middle school, you had always been there for him with the right words he didn't know but needed to hear in every experiment he did be it a failure or success.

However, this time around, it was different as his heart pounded away with a deafening roar in his ears as butterflies fluttered in his stomach (which later on he learnt was nervousness). Confusion filled Senku's mind over why he was feeling this way when it never happened before in the past, back before the petrification happened.

However, since you had woken up in the stone world, he had been experiencing all these weird feelings and he didn't know how to go about it. So, Senku did what he always does best and filed away all these new information to analyse them later when he was alone and had free time on his hands to do so.

Now wasn't a good time, especially with the possibility of Tsukasa still out there looking for them.

Clearing his throat which broke you out of whatever daze you were in, the corners of his lips lifted into a small, albeit awkward, smile as he finally responded. "You know me, I'll never give up and will always find another alternative if the first doesn't work out. However, I can't do this without my trusty lab assistant. So, are you up for the challenges awaiting us?"

(E/C) eyes sparkled under the streams of sunlight peeking through the forest foliage, creating shifting shadows and lights as they burnt brightly with purpose and it filled Senku with a sense of joyful pride as you answered with a resounding, "I won't let you down, Senku!"

The scientist knew the journey awaiting ahead for him wouldn't be one of smooth sailing, but with your constant presence by his side, assurance and hope bloomed within his heart that he could go above and beyond in his goal to save all of humanity.

* * *

While Taiju was packing the group's belongings and Senku was covering up their tracks so that Tsukasa wouldn't know that the group had been here if he chose to look within the area, Yuzuriha was kneeling in front of a statue with a broken arm whereas you just observed silently; wondering what was she up to.

Holding the decapitated arm in her hands, she said, "If it can fix Senku-kun's neck, maybe if we piece together the shattered statues and pour revival fluid on them, it'll put people back together."

The corners of your lips lifted into a sad smile as you replied, staring at the unfortunate statue lying in front of the both of you. "Senku tried that right at the beginning. They just went back to being a shattered corpse."

Senku, who overheard the conversation, added on in an afterthought. "Why wouldn't it work if it's so regenerative?"

"O-Oh, I see," Yuzuriha answered and placed the arm next to its owner before clasping her hands and bowing her head, sending a quick prayer to heaven when Senku called her name.

"Yuzuriha..." She raised her head and glanced over her shoulders to see said person approaching her, a serious frown on his face. "Taiju's ten billion percent too crude for this. You're our ultra-skilful crafts club member. It'll be a gruelling mission. Can you do it?"

Tilting your head to one side, you watched with curiosity as your brown-haired friend rose to her feet and Senku, who stopped beside her, leaned forward so that he could whisper his request into her ears.

A wide-eyed Yuzuriha stood there with her mouth gaping slightly as she processed his words and once it sank in, cold sweat broke out on her face as she turned to Senku with a troubled expression. "That really is _really_ gruelling. But I'll do it!"

The grin on Senku's face widened as he let out a satisfied chuckle, saying, "That was quick."

"Craft is all about perseverance!" Yuzuriha reasoned although it seemed like she was trying to convince herself.

Your brows furrowed further in confusion as your eyes jumped back and forth between your friends, curiosity getting the better of you as you asked, "What are y'all talking about? I wanna know too!"

The scientist didn't reply, red orbs glinting mischievously instead which earned a pout coming from you. Taiju, on the other hand, bounced over and inserted himself into the conversation, also wanting to be let in on the secret between the pair. "Are you sharing secrets? No fair! Let me in on it!"

Yuzuriha hesitated for a second before plastering on an uncertain smile as she turned to address the teen, slightly stumbling over her words. "I, um...was saying maybe we should go see Tsukasa-kun."

"Oh, yeah?" His lips were stretched into a wide grin reaching the corners of his eyes, Yuzuriha's words not quite fully registered in his mind yet. "Tsukasa's place, huh?"

There was a moment of silence as no one said anything and a breeze blew through the clearing, the leaves rustling in its gentle caress.

Then, Taiju grabbed Yuzuriha by the waist and shook her back and forth numerous times while trying to make her see reason over her crazy suggestion. "What?! Why?! He's the dangerous man that killed Senku! I mean, he's not dead and he _was_ a good guy, but...At the very least, he _thought_ he'd killed Senku!"

Senku let out a low chuckle which drew everyone's attention onto him as he held up a finger to make a point. "That's exactly what we accomplished in that fight. Tsukasa thinks I'm in the afterlife now. Meanwhile, I can always know where Tsukasa is. We'll have a giant advantage in this battle if Yuzuriha and Taiju can infiltrate the Tsukasa Empire as spies."

Both yours and Taiju's eyes widened, finally hearing the plan the scientist had whispered to Yuzuriha not too long ago.

"I gave Yuzuriha the details about the mission." The scientist continued as the four of you finally decided to make a move with him leading in the front while the rest of you followed behind and made your way down a slope. "Taiju, you protect Yuzuriha. Blockheads like you are better off not knowing everything."

"All right, I got it." Taiju clenched a fist in determination. "I'll do it."

 _'Then what about me? Do I have a role like Yuzuriha and Taiju since I didn't hear my name when Senku revealed his plan to everyone?'_ The furrow between your brows deepened as you frowned in thought, almost missing Senku's explanation on his reasons for having said plan.

You cleared your mind with a quick shake of your head and tuned in once more, figuring you could worry over the minor details later.

"Tsukasa intends to use the miracle water, revival fluid, to amass an army of young people to make a new world ruled by military might," Senku explained. "In order to defeat the Tsukasa Empire and stop the mass destruction that is the purification of humanity...We'll have to make a revolutionary army that can combat them using science."

"But how are you going to do that on your own?" Yuzuriha questioned, the fact that the scientist didn't mention your name in his plan for them slipping her mind.

"Yeah." Taiju was quick to agree, a concerned frown on his face. "If Tsukasa has the miracle water, the nitric acid, you can't make gunpowder, and you can't grow your manpower."

Senku came to a sudden stop, causing everyone to halt as well as he turned around to inform the pair of his role in this grand plan. "The answer is obvious. (Name) and I are going to find the mystery people who fired the smoke signals and get them on our side."

(E/C) eyes widened when the green-haired teen's gaze slid over to yours, a knowing smirk on his face. You felt your cheeks heating up in embarrassment and ducked your head, wanting to slap yourself for being so stupid.

The answer to your worried thoughts of not having a role in the scientist's plan had all along been under your nose, you just didn't look hard enough. It was so painfully obvious you would be the one to help Senku, especially since you were his lab assistant and even more so after making that inspiring speech of yours to the green-haired teen.

An amused chuckle escaped Senku's lips at your internal conflict, having guessed what was on your mind when he saw the troubled expression on your face. However, his expression changed as he went back to the topic at hand, red eyes darkening with displeasure. "The problem is that they might encounter Tsukasa first. I'll just have to bet on the chance that they haven't."

"So, going forward, the two of us will be spies in the Tsukasa Empire. Meanwhile, (Name) and you'll be finding allies for a scientific revolutionary army. And we'll each be fighting our own battles." Taiju summarised, brown eyes fixing onto his friend for confirmation.

"That's the idea," Senku responded with a firm nod.

The two stared at each other and held a silent conversation with their eyes before grinning at each other, having come to an understanding between each other. Without so much as a goodbye, the two best friends turned their backs on one another and began to head off in the opposite direction – not once looking behind their backs as they set off on their individual path towards the journey awaiting ahead for them.

On the other hand, the girls had a much more emotional departure as both you and Yuzuriha closed the remaining space and embraced each other in a tight hug, exchanging last words of encouragement and promise.

"I know it's gonna not be easy, but if Senku has faith in you, so do I." You squeezed the brunette once more before taking a step back and giving her a watery smile. "This isn't a goodbye, but rather a 'see you later' even if it's gonna take months before we see each other again, alright?"

Yuzuriha nodded her head, brown eyes glassy with unshed tears as she clasped both hands around yours and gave a reassuring squeeze. "Mn! We'll definitely see each other at one point again. It's not going to be easy to rebuild civilization from scratch but I know Senku-kun can do it because he has you."

Your cheeks warmed a little at her words, but it was the good kind as (e/c) eyes softened with affection and love for the scientist. "Yea, the same could be said for you. I know Taiju is going to wait until all this whole ordeal is over before he confesses his feelings to you, but until then, continue to stay by his side as a good friend."

It was the brown-haired teen's turn as her cheeks tinged a light pink which earned an amused giggle from you, finding your friend's plight endearing. You found it fun to tease your friend like that, enjoying how flustered she had become.

However, what you didn't know was that Yuzuriha had the exact same thought regarding a certain scientist. You missed the mischievous glint reflected in those brown eyes and a knowing grin shaped her lips. "Well, the same goes for you, (Name)-chan. Besides being a good friend to Senku-kun, I hope you'll find the courage to finally tell him how you feel."

(E/C) eyes widened while your jaws dropped in slight shock as you stared at Yuzuriha whose smile broadened at your reaction. Your brain short-circuited as your mouth opened and closed, unsure of what to say for a moment before you finally blurted out. "You knew?!"

Giggling, she replied, "Everyone with eyes can see it, even Taiju-kun and you know he's usually clueless about most things. You may hide your feelings, but your actions speak louder than words, especially whenever you're around Senku-kun, it becomes more obvious."

Suddenly, a thought crossed your mind and you swallowed, asking, "I-If I'm that obvious, d-do you think Senku knows as well?"

Yuzuriha's eyes softened with understanding. "You know how Senku-kun's like when it comes to sentiments, so no, he doesn't know."

You released a breath that you didn't realize you had been holding in, feeling unsure whether you were relieved that your secret was safe or disappointed that things were going to be harder if you decided to pursue your feeling for the scientist.

The brunette must have seen the conflict written clear as day on your face because you felt another light squeeze around your hand and you snapped out of it, lifting your gaze to meet a reassuring smile.

"I know it's going to be tough, but things are different this time around," Yuzuriha said. "You didn't see it back then, but I saw the look on Senku-kun's face when you jumped in between him and Tsukasa-kun to stand up for him. I couldn't quite place a finger on it, yet I can tell you with certainty the way how he sees you before has changed during that moment. So, don't give up so soon, okay?"

Your heart was racing upon hearing that, but you didn't want to have high expectations in fear of getting your heart crushed if it didn't turn out to be true, still, you couldn't help the tiny tendrils of hope unfurling in your chest.

However, you made a promise to yourself that you would finally muster up the courage and confess your feelings to Senku even if the fear of rejection loomed overhead. So, you got rid of the doubt in your mind and there was a determined shine to your eyes as you exclaimed, "I won't, Yuzuriha. I'm not gonna back down from my feelings for Senku anymore."

Yuzuriha pulled you into one last hug and whispered in your ears. "All the best, (Name)-chan and take of yourself, along with Senku, out there. I'm going to miss you."

Your eyes slid shut as you savoured the moment, committing your friend's warm embrace in your mind before she released you. Smiling at her, you replied in a soft tone. "I'll miss you too, Yuzuriha. Until then, stay safe."

The brunette nodded her head and with one last goodbye leaving both your lips, the two of you turned on your heels and headed towards your respective partner who was waiting patiently for them just a few feet away.

Just like that, the four good friends broke into pairs and headed off in the opposite direction of each other where the unknown awaited for them. Despite feeling disheartened about the separation, you knew it wouldn't be permanent because the four of you would eventually cross paths once more.

**Time skipped**

When Senku saw your approaching figure, he raised an eyebrow in question. "I don't understand why you're getting so emotional. It's not like you won't see them again."

"Well, the same can't be said for you, Senku." You tilted your head to the side in a curious manner. "Both you and Taiju are so casual about this. Guys really are stoic with each other, huh?"

"Yeah. It just doesn't seem logical because although we won't be seeing each other for a while, not for weeks, months, maybe even years, we'll see them eventually." Senku shrugged and just walked off without another word, knowing that you would catch up to him.

Sure enough, you quickened your pace and soon, you fell into step beside him – a comfortable silence settling between the two of you as neither of you said anything.

Although, it didn't last for long when suddenly, Taiju's voice could be heard over the long distance.

_"Senku! I promise—"_

Both you and Senku stopped in your tracks and turned around to be greeted with the sight of the brunette holding a fist up into the air. Despite being too far to see the expression on his friend's face, the scientist immediately got the message he was trying to deliver.

You watched as the corners of his lips lifted into a soft smile before he let out a low chuckle and reached behind him to untie the hide around his neck while saying," Hang in there for the short while that I'm gone. Hey, you've been waiting 3,700 years. A few more months or years is no big deal."

(E/C) eyes sparkled when you finally understood what Taiju was trying to convey and you beamed as Senku finished tying the hide to the branch used to support his neck and held it high up into the air for his friend to see.

With his back facing Taiju and the hide flying in the wind like a flag, the scientist confidently exclaimed, "We're going to build our kingdom of science."

It was also a silent promise to his best friend that when they meet again, it wouldn't be just the four of you anymore, but with a kingdom of people who had come to love the wonders of science.

And it fills you with a renewed sense of hope and determination to help Senku in turning that dream into a reality.

* * *

"Ne, Senku, how do we know where to find the person who sends us the smoke signal?" You asked.

"They shouldn't be too far from where we are currently, judging from where we saw the smoke in the air, it was probably just a few metres not too far." The scientist answered as he scanned the surroundings below, looking for any signs of human activities amongst the trees.

You frowned when a concerning thought popped to mind. "Wait, if they aren't too far from the hot spring, doesn't that mean they could've already come across Tsukasa before we even arrived?"

Seeing the worry between your furrowed brows, Senku let out a little sigh and raised a hand to your head, gently ruffling your hair in an assuring manner. "Well, it is a possibility, but let's look on the brighter side and hope that hasn't happened yet."

Your shoulders relaxed under his soothing ministration which brought out a small smile onto the teen's face. Overall, it was calming as the two of you stood there and enjoyed the short but peaceful moment before resuming with your search.

However, it didn't last for long when there was a loud booming sound followed by a large cloud of dust rising above the treelines. The two of you were alerted by this and without a moment to waste, rushed down towards the scene.

When both of you arrived, the dust cloud cleared to reveal a girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes whose lower half of the body was trapped beneath the large trunk of a fallen tree. A pair of red and (e/c) orbs widened in shock at the scene before their eyes.

Suddenly the girl spoke up when her gaze fell on the two new presences in the clearing, her eyes widening in recognition. "You're...the sorcerer gentleman who protected that woman. You're alive! And you're the brave woman who jumped in."

You furrowed your brows over her words, confused as to how she knew who the two of you were when neither of you had ever seen her before. _'She must be the one who probably sent us the smoke signal.'_

Before you could mull over that possibility, the urgency in Senku's voice brought you back to the current situation as he rushed over to the girl. "Stop talking. You can introduce yourself all you want later. Don't waste your energy."

You quickly joined him as he attempted to lift the fallen tree using the branch of his makeshift flagpole as a lever, however that didn't work considering how heavy the tree was and even if you were to help, your combined strength still wouldn't be enough.

Senku didn't let that deter him as he began to search for another alternative. Kneeling down, he started to examine the small space between the ground and the tree while you hovered anxiously near him, wanting to help but unsure of how.

The scientist must have thought of a solution because he quickly stood up once more and turned to address the girl with a serious look on his face. "Can you hold out until evening?"

The girl simply blinked in response.

Seeing how the girl said nothing, he went on. "If you're at your limit, I'll take a gamble and blow it up with the little gunpowder I have left."

Your eyes widened in panic when you heard that statement and instantly stepped in before the girl could agree and potentially have her limbs blown off. "Oh gosh, please don't!"

Senku ignored you and continued, "But if you can hold on, it'll take forever, but I'll save you, ten billion percent."

Instead of receiving a verbal reply, the girl merely blinked once more which frustrated Senku as he raised his voice and exclaimed, "You're the only who can make the decision! Decide right now! Which is it?"

The blonde girl was taken aback by the scientist's outburst and hesitated for a moment, but eventually steeled herself and responded with a quick nod. "Yeah, my organs and bones are all fine. I can hold on."

A sigh of relief escaped your lips at her perseverance while Senku grinned which lasted for a second before it was replaced with a stern look on his face as he turned his gaze onto you, red staring deep into (e/c). "We'll have a lot of work to do and it's not going to be easy. Do you think you're up for the task?"

You didn't even hesitate as your gaze remained unwavering, glimmering with confidence as you replied with a firm tone. "I'm always ready, Senku."

"Let's get down to business then." The scientist chuckled; the corners of his lips lifted into a smirk.

**Time skipped**

As you hacked away at the fallen tree, beads of sweat rolled down the sides of your face as you put in your everything to cleave your way through the trunk with a stone axe while Senku watched from behind and analysed the situation, doing a quick calculation in his head.

"I'd say the fallen tree weighs roughly one ton." You heard the teen muttering beneath his breath, his brows furrowed in concentration. "To get it to one side would take half of that, 500 kilograms. Assuming my own weight is just over 60 kilograms, multiplied by 2 to the 3rd power to get to 500 kilograms..."

Despite your arm aching with soreness from the labour work, you didn't feel even an ounce of tiredness as you stepped back to admire your work. Satisfied with the outcome, you turned to Senku while wiping away the sweat on your face. "Senku, I'm down with the trunk. What's next?"

A small, but proud smile, made its way onto the scientist's lips as he walked over to take a closer look and he nodded his head in approval. Lifting a hand, Senku gave you a quick, but affirmed, pat before moving onto the next task. "Good job, (Name)."

You flushed with joy at the simple praise as the green-haired male made holes into the three of the chopped logs, curtsied of you, and began pouring the remaining gunpowder – gritting his teeth in slight frustration as he grumbled, "I can just barely make it with three."

You bit your lips in worry over what Senku had said but decided to trust in him anyway as you watched him pack dirt into the bamboo which he then proceeded to place each through the hollow centre part of the chopped log which he created with the gunpowder.

Curious as to why the scientist was doing that, you asked with a slight tilt of the head. "Why are you stuffing dirt into the bamboo?"

"The bamboo's barely strong enough to support the full weight of the tree. By packing them with dirt, they'll last longer." He explained as he began to collect fibres from some vines which he quickly weaved together to form a long rope, not once pausing to take even a short break as he moved onto the next step.

"(Name), can you grab the soap? It should be in one of the bags tied to my belt." Senku instructed as he finished up with the rope. You didn't have to be told twice as you got to work and once you found the right bag, you retrieved the soap and handed it over to the scientist.

Nodding his head as thanks, Senku grabbed the soap and began rubbing it all over the rope, grinning with glee while doing so. "Who would have thought that soap would be so useful now? It's an all-star team of Great Professor Senku's and his trusty lab assistant (Name)'s inventions."

That earned a giggle from you which brought a small smile out of Senku. However, both of you focused once more and started to put everything together, more like you were just following along with Senku's instructions since you still had no idea what the scientist was exactly planning.

Although you figured it out the moment everything had been set up and your mouth parted slightly in awe at what the teen had managed to accomplish within a few short hours.

Suddenly, you heard a small gasp coming from behind you. Turning around, you noticed how blue eyes had widened in a mixture of confusion and awe as the girl stared up at the contraption above her.

"What is this?" She asked, her gaze fixated onto the device and you couldn't blame her for being so transfixed considering she had probably never seen anything like this in her entire life before.

"This is science," Senku answered in a breathless voice from all the heavy work, but despite that, you recognised the familiar sparkle in those red orbs. "It was invented by Old Man Archimedes a few hundred years BC. It converts the measly strength of two high school kids into Herculean might."

Seeing the scientist in his element again, after so long, brought a nostalgic smile onto your face as you flashbacked to those days spent in the school science lab doing nothing other than just watching the teen as he worked on whatever science experiment of the day.

It made your heart swell even more as Senku wrapped the rope around a hand and tugged a few times to test out the tightness. When he was satisfied that the rope wouldn't slip out of his grasp, he peered down at the blonde girl with a confident smirk as he finally revealed the name of the contraption.

"It's called a pulley!"

As he said that, he wrapped an arm around your waist and without giving you so much as a warning, he jumped off from the branch where the two of you had been standing on to attach the rope to it.

A small shriek left your lips as (e/c) eyes widened in horror and you wrapped both arms around the scientist's neck on instinct. With both your weight combined, the rope went taut and began to slowly lift the end of the fallen tree where it was tied to; freeing the blonde girl from beneath its heavyweight.

"O-Oh my gosh!" You tried to catch your breath, still clutching tightly onto Senku despite having your feet standing on solid ground again. "G-Give a girl some warning, even a simple countdown next time if you're gonna do something so sudden like this again. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Chuckling, Senku instantly apologized, although you couldn't really tell if he was sorry when the smug smirk on his face was anything to go by. "Sorry, I'll remember to do that next time."

You narrowed your eyes at the green-haired teen but eventually took his words for it. As Senku went to tie the rope around a tree to secure the pulley since it was still holding up the fallen tree, you approached the blonde girl, who was still lying on the ground, to check up on her.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? Like do you feel any pain or anything of that sorts?" You questioned the dazed-looking girl, your brows furrowing in concern.

"Amazing," The girl responded, however not to your question which earned a puzzled look from you and a curious one from Senku who looked over. "No, I'm not talking about that Archi-whoever's wisdom. I'm talking about both your unwavering diligence in forcing yourself through every step until you solve a problem."

You exchanged a confused frown with Senku who raised a brow and shrugged, unsure of what to make of the situation. The blonde girl, unbeknownst of the silent conversation between the two of you, spoke up once more; finally introducing herself.

Although the words following after that had you dropping your mouth wide opened in shock, taken aback by the outcome of rescuing this mysterious girl.

"My name is Kohaku. It seems I've taken quite a liking to you."


	8. Where Two Million Years Have Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently got Twitter! So, come and find me [@chibi_rainbend](https://twitter.com/chibi_rainbend) where I'll be posting updates, sneak peeks and the random stuff about anime and occasionally K-pop!

Chapter 7 – Where Two Million Years Have Gone

_“My name is Kohaku. It seems I’ve taken quite a liking to you.”_

The moment those words left her lips, you found yourself freezing up with (e/c) eyes as wide as saucers and you swore your heart stopped beating for a bit as your entire world screeched to a halt. 

This was the first time you heard someone of the opposite gender confessing to Senku who had never received a single love confession from any of the female students’ body in both middle and high school back in the modern world as they were never interested. Hence, you never had to worry about having a competition fighting for the scientist’s affections. 

However, now that you did, you weren’t quite sure how to respond to the possibility of having a love rival since having one never crossed your mind before thanks to Senku’s view on romance. 

A million thoughts began to flash through your mind at a hundred miles per hour, not lingering long enough for you to dwell on it before moving onto the next one. _‘What do I do now? I know Senku isn’t into romantic relationships, but what if he changes his mind since it’s been 3,700 years? Also, this girl is way younger and prettier than me and what if she’s his type??’_

You bit your lips, feeling anxious over the insecurity and uncertainty taking roots in your heart the more your thoughts spiralled out of control. Just as when you were about to give yourself a panic attack from overthinking too much, Senku finally spoke up. 

“I don’t like what I just heard.” Senku bluntly responded, red eyes narrowing in suspicion. “We just met, and she’s already in love? In this state of emergency?”

In an instant, some of your doubts about whether Senku might be interested in the blonde faded. Although, you were still concerned at the possibility of Kohaku actually being in love with Senku and becoming your rival in love.

However, that was quickly shut down by said person who pointed a finger at the scientist after retying her hair, her brows furrowing in incredulity over his assumption which she was quick to correct. “I didn’t say anything about that! I’m saying I like you as a _person_ , so I’ll cooperate with you!”

“Oh, I appreciate that, then,” Senku answered, although there was still a hint of scepticism expressed on his face. “Nothing is as illogical or trouble-prone as relationships.” 

You let out a sigh of relief as the rest of your worries disappeared into thin air just like that, yet you couldn’t deny the small voice of disappointment in the back of your mind that Senku’s view towards romantic relationships was still the same even after 3,700 years. 

Well, you would change his mind real soon, hopefully. 

When both you and Senku managed to free Kohaku, the sun had already started to set and now, the first few signs of stars could be seen in the twilight sky and so, the trio decided to set up camp for the night. 

It wasn’t long before the sky turned completely dark as the moon took over the sun and along with its brethren of stars, watched over the earth as its occupants laid down to rest their weary souls. 

The sounds of fire crackling and crickets singing their lullaby were soothing to your ears as you laid in your sleeping bag, yet you found yourself still wide awake and unable to sleep; (e/c) eyes staring up at space. 

Apparently, you weren’t the only one when you heard Senku’s light breathing, indicating he was still very much awake as well. Feeling a bit restless from having laid in the same position for quite some time already, you shifted to lay on your side and wiggled around for a bit before letting out a small pleased sigh as you settled into your new comfortable spot. 

As you were pulling your blanket higher up so that it was resting under your chin, you heard a grunt coming from Senku whose back was facing yours. 

“Will you stop moving so much?” He grumbled and you froze with your blanket still grasped in your hands. “I can’t sleep with all the rustling and shuffling sounds you’re making.”

You didn’t reply straight away as you slowly let go of the blanket and laid as still as possible in your sleeping bag before uttering a quiet apology. “Sorry, it’s just that I can’t sleep and thought lying on my side instead of my back may help. I didn’t mean to cause any disturbance.”

Hearing the genuineness in your voice, Senku didn’t have the heart to get mad at you. So, with a soft sigh, he said, “It’s fine. I wasn’t upset or anything. Just go to sleep.”

You let out a small hum in agreement, snuggled deeper into your sleeping bag and before you knew it, you were off to dreamland. Maybe it was due to today’s events finally catching up to you or it could because you finally felt assured knowing that Senku wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon after nearly losing him today; whatever the reason was, it left you feeling relaxed enough to fall into a deep slumber. 

When Senku heard nothing besides the occasional mumble from whatever dream you were having that night, he flipped onto his other side so that he was facing you. His face softened as red eyes traced your face, a small smile creeping onto his lips when your nose scrunched up slightly before relaxing again. 

He watched your slumbering figure for a while more before his focus shifted to the new third party who was currently sleeping upright, her back leaning against the tree with her daggers held tightly in both hands as though she was ready to strike someone the moment she sensed anything unusual. 

And Senku didn’t doubt that fact one bit. Shifting again, he was now facing said person and with furrowed brows, he commented, “What are you, a new species of hominid that sleeps with a sword?”

Without even opening her eyes, Kohaku was quick to reply, proving the scientist’s theory about how she wasn’t fully asleep and rather was simply just resting while still being aware of her surroundings. “It’s because you started talking about relationships.”

Her eyes snapped open in the next second, narrowing into a distrustful glare as she turned to look at Senku. “I like the way you live, but I don’t trust you yet. I take care of myself, and this habit is a result of that. Don’t take it personally.”

With his back facing her once more, the scientist responded. “I’m not enough of a hero to assault a lioness willy-nilly. Hurry up and get some sleep.”

“Lioness?!” Kohaku let out an offended protest and jumped to her feet, no longer in her resting period as she went on an angry rant. “I have feelings, too, you know! You live like a gentleman, but your foul mouth is of another dimension. I think I might accidentally kill you someday.”

However, Senku wasn’t frightened by the threat, not one bit as he calmly replied with his eyes closed. “Then go to sleep before you cause any accidents. I don’t want to get killed twice in the same day.”

Kohaku blinked once, blue eyes glowing in the firelight as she observed the green-haired teen in silence for a moment before asking quietly. “You’re fighting against that long-haired man, aren’t you? I’ll help you.”

Senku opened his eyes and his gaze slid over to the blonde who went on before he could even utter a single reply. “I can’t just back down, either.”

“Yeah.” He sat up with a small smile on his face, red eyes softening with understanding. “That’s why I’m making a nation of science. First of all, I need manpower.”

“So you want allies,” Kohaku responded as she rose to her feet and let out a chuckle. “Then why don’t you come with me?”

“You have more of your lion buddies, huh?” The scientist questioned with a smirk. 

“Yeah,” Kohaku confirmed, blue eyes glowing with excitement. “I’m sure they’ll be dependable allies. I know one man who’d be perfect. Allow me to guide you, Senku. Come with me.”

There was a moment of silence as Senku contemplated her words, his gaze sliding over to your sleeping figure – facial expression relaxed and dreaming on peacefully with a contented smile, oblivious to the conversation happening between both of them. 

Then, he replied in a soft voice. “Alright. We’ll come with you.”

**Time skipped**

“Hot water?” Senku raised a brow in question as he watched Kohaku fill a large jar with water from a hot spring, wondering what she would need it for. 

“Yeah.” Said blonde calmly answered, her focus trained on the task at hand while she gave an explanation. “I take it home to make a hot spring bath. For healing purposes.”

The scientist’s eyes widened in amazement as Kohaku carried the heavy jar with ease, a small contented smile on her face. Blinking his eyes once, then twice, he commented. “You look like a ten billion percent healthy kid to me. What use does a lively lioness like you have with any more healing?”

“I’m not a lioness!” Kohaku protested, her brows furrowing in irritation. “And it’s not for me! It’s for my sister!”

You let out a yawn, still feeling slightly sleepy from having woken up so early this morning as tears gathered in the corners of your eyes. Rubbing away your eyes, you asked, “Why do your sister need it for? Is she sick or something?”

Turning her back to the two of you, Kohaku let out a helpless sigh as she replied, “Honestly…She’s such a troublesome nuisance of an older sister. She’s been especially sick lately. If only I could swap her body with my exceedingly healthy one…”

She trailed off and began to walk off, not bothering to wait for a response from either of you. You didn’t have to see her facial expression to know how worried she was for her sister because you could hear it clearly in her voice.

Both you and Senku exchanged gazes before the scientist simply shrugged and turned to follow after their new friend. You furrowed your brows in slight confusion at Senku’s lack of response, but before you could mull over it, you noticed the lack of striking green hair and hurried off in the direction Senku had gone lest you got left behind. 

You almost tripped over your feet, but thankfully didn’t fall when you caught up to the teen and fell into step beside him.

Red orbs narrowed slightly, fixated onto the jar that Kohaku was still carrying without so much as breaking a single sweat. “That jar looks like a little less than fifty litres. It’s not quite enough for a bath. How many trips do you make with that heavy-ass jar? Every single day…”

You remained silent as your gaze jumped back and forth between the scientist and the blonde who let out a scoff before answering, “It’s just part of my daily training. I’m a lot stronger thanks to it, too. I should be grateful to my nuisance sis—”

Her sentence got cut off when suddenly, her legs gave in and Kohaku stumbled, nearly spilling the large jar of hot water if it wasn’t for Senku who stopped the jar from tipping over with just one hand. 

“You haven’t fully recovered yet, have you?” The scientist questioned with a smug smirk. “I can’t have you overexerting yourself and dying on me. Hand it over.”

“Senku…” Kohaku breathed out in awe. 

On the other hand, you weren’t sure if Senku’s suggestion was a good idea when you remembered all those times where he struggled with heavy labour due to his lack of strength and short stamina. 

“I don’t think that’s a…” You tried to stop Senku but was too late for he was already carrying the jar. “…good idea.”

You finished off lamely and began to worry for your friend when you noticed how his legs were starting to tremble slightly while his cheeks were puffed up from exerting himself. Your arms shot out on instinct when he faltered but managed to steady himself at the last minute. 

“Are you sure you’ll be fine, Senku?” You nervously asked and stepped forward slightly to offer your assistance. “Why don’t I help carry as well? At least with two people sharing the weight, it won’t be as heavy.”

However, Senku was quick to turn down your help and instead, waved off your worry with a reassured smirk. “I’m fine, (Name). Instead of worrying about me, why don’t you keep an eye on Kohaku just in case.”

“I’m fine!” The blonde girl denied, then stared at the scientist with a concerned frown. “I think your friend here has a point. You look like you’re struggling. Are you sure you'll be able to carry the jar all by yourself?”

“Yes, I am fine.” Senku rolled his eyes and turned on his heels (with much difficulty), heading down the slope without bothering to wait for his companions. 

Kohaku watched the retreating scientist for a few seconds before turning to you with a raised brow. “Is he always this stubborn?”

Biting your lips, you hesitantly replied as you stared at said person with a pair of worried eyes. “Senku…he may be stubborn, but it’s usually for a good cause.”

“I can see that.” The blonde mumbled. “Well, let’s go then before the idiot ends up collapsing under all those heavyweights.”

A small smile appeared on your lips as you let out a giggle. “That I can’t argue with you.”

And true to her words, when both of you caught up to Senku, he was lying face down on the ground with the jar on top of him and water spilling everywhere. 

Kohaku peered down at the scientist with crossed arms, a look of disappointment written on her face. “You’re the one overexerting yourself.”

Meanwhile, you shook your head and let out a small sigh, half tore between feeling amused and resigned. “I did warn you.”

“Is everyone other than me in this stone world a gorilla?” Senku complained, his limbs twitching slightly under the crushing weight of the jar. “Kohaku, Tsukasa, Taiju…”

“Gorilla?!” Kohaku cried out. “At least call me a lioness! That was better!”

“That’s not the point here,” Senku grunted. “Also, stop standing around and help get this thing off of me!”

“I say you deserved it.” Kohaku snorted, earning a low growl from the scientist whose patience was wearing thin. 

Chuckling at their bickering, you finally decided to put your friend out of his misery. “Alright, let me give you a helping hand.”

Senku released a relieved groan when you lifted the jar off him and set it aside before reading a hand out towards the teen. “Are you alright, Senku? Does anywhere hurt or something?”

He accepted your hand and was pulled onto his feet, letting out a deep sigh as he cracked his back and rolled his shoulders backwards. “Yea, I’m fine. Also, Am I really the only one without strength in this world?”

“Well,” You scratched your cheek, the corners of your lips curling into a sheepish smile. “It wasn’t _that_ heavy.”

The scientist frowned and grumbled how he was surrounded by gorillas which earned a deep scowl from Kohaku and an amused giggle from you. With an annoyed huff, Kohaku marched over to her jar, picked it up and headed back towards the hot spring for a refill; all the while complaining about how Senku was of no help at all. 

Said person rolled his eyes at the blonde’s retreating back before turning his attention. “Thanks for helping me back there, (Name).”

“You’re welcome, Senku.”

With that, the two of you joined Kohaku. When you saw how she was carrying the jar once more, you remembered the incident from earlier on and worried that something like that might happen again, you rushed over to help her.

“Here, let me help you.” You supported the jar and together, both of you placed the jar onto the ground, careful not to spill a single drop of water. 

A grateful smile graced Kohaku’s lips as she said, “Thank you, (Name). Unlike a certain somebody, at least you’re of actual help.”

Rubbing the back of your neck, you smiled sheepishly. “It’s no big deal.”

“Well, let’s get going then,” Kohaku commented, back to her usual serious self. “We still have quite a long way to get back to my home.”

As the blonde moved to lift and carried the jar, you instantly tried to stop her. “You shouldn’t exert yourself too much, Kohaku. After all, you’re still recovering.”

“(Name) does have a point,” Senku spoke up in a disinterested voice. “It’ll be a waste of time again if we have to make another trip back here.”

Blue eyes were twitching as Kohaku whirled around to face the scientist, growling, “Whose fault do you think it was?! Trying to play the hero when you knew you couldn’t handle it! Even (Name) here has more common sense than you!”

Senku opened his mouth, ready to retaliate but you quickly jumped in, wanting to avoid another argument from breaking out between these two. “I’m sure you already have a solution in mind, don’t you, Senku?”

One side of his lips curled into a confident smirk as red eyes twinkled. “Of course, what do you take me for?”

Lifting a brow out of curiosity, Kohaku asked, “And what exactly do you have in mind?”

Senku’s grin widened as he let out evil cackles, rubbing his hands together in excitement. “Oh, it’s going to be something fun and exhilarating.”

Meanwhile, you were filled with a sense of unease at whatever Senku had thought of. 

“I really have a bad feeling about this,” You mumbled worryingly, but the other two didn’t hear you as Senku led the way towards the clearing where Kohaku was rescued previously. 

**Time skipped**

Eek!” You let out a fearful shriek and clung tightly onto the automobile that the three of you were currently on as it zoomed down the slope; (h/l), (h/c) hair whipping behind you. 

Meanwhile, Kohaku’s lips were curled into an excited grin with both arms thrown wide open, enjoying the feeling of wind rushing through her hair. “I’m impressed you built such a useful thing so quickly!” 

“It wasn’t quick,” Senku replied from the back of the vehicle. “I managed to use the pulleys from yesterday as wheels. Civilization births civilization. Applying developments is the basis of science.”

The younger female stared at the scientist in awe from over her shoulder before turning her attention back to the front when they came to a fork in the road. “Turn right up there.”

Senku did as told, except he steered the vehicle into the opposite direction of where it was supposed to go and ended up crashing into a tree. The three of you were sent flying as the automobile was smashed into pieces on impact. 

Thanks to her quick reflexes, Kohaku managed to land safely on both feet with the jar held securely in her grasp, preventing another spill from happening. Senku weren’t as fortunate as his face planted into the hard ground while you landed on his poor back which broke your fall slightly. 

“Urgh…” Senku let out a painful groan. “You’re heavy, (Name). Get off me this instant.”

“Sorry,” You moaned and rolled off the male, your head spinning that you missed his indirect comment of being called fat. 

Glancing over her shoulders at the duo still lying on the ground, Kohaku spoke up with a small smile. “Look, Senku, (Name). There it is.”

You lifted your head and (e/c) orbs followed the blonde’s gaze which widened upon seeing the sight up ahead. You got up from the ground, followed by Senku, and headed towards where Kohaku was standing at the edge of the cliff; blue eyes fixated on the village below. 

“Wow…” You breathed out in awe; taking in the scene of two islands, connected by wooden bridges, filled with numerous huts. 

Senku’s mouth gaped open as he, too, stared at the village in amazement while Kohaku piped up from beside him. “Welcome to my village.”

“How many people do you have here?” The scientist questioned; his voice coloured in disbelief. 

“I don’t remember how many retirees and children there are, but aside from them, I think there are exactly forty,” Kohaku answered. 

“Forty…” Senku murmured, his brows furrowing in contemplation. 

You gazed at the villagers going about their activities and instantly noticed something odd about them. Cupping both hands around your eyes to block out the sunlight to have a better look, you commented, “Erm, is it just me or does almost everyone in the village seem to have either blonde hair or blue eyes like Kohaku? Those features aren’t common to Japanese people.”

The scientist squinted his eyes to get a better look as well before seemingly coming to a conclusion. “This means there must have been a first generation.”

(E/C) eyes swept over to Senku and with furrowed brows, you asked, “So, they aren’t revived from the petrification?”

The corners of his lips pulled down into a thoughtful frown. “Most likely not.”

Your gaze slid back towards the village bustling with life once more, mumbling to yourself. “Then where did they come from?”

For the first time since you had ever known Senku, who was always so confident in himself, sounding unsure as he replied, “I don’t know, (Name). I really don’t know.”

* * *

As both you and Senku arrived at the main bridge leading into the village, you noticed movements out of the corners of your eyes. Just as you turned your head to see what it was, two shadowy figures leapt out of nowhere. 

(E/C) orbs widened in shock at the sudden attack, your body freezing at the sight of spears, their sharp ends glinting in the sun. However, before either of the weapons could touch even a single hair on your head, Kohaku had jumped in and parried the attacks with her own daggers. 

She threw a stern glare over her shoulders at the startled duo. “Don’t be violent, Kinro, Ginro. This man and woman saved my life.”

You let out a gasp of air, not realizing you had stopped breathing as your heart continued to pound away in your ears at what just happened. Senku, on the other hand, wasn’t as fazed by the unexpected attack as you were and simply stared at the pair with raised brows. 

“You can’t do that, Kohaku-chan.” The blond one whom you guessed was named Ginro smiled softly. “That’s not good. Outsiders aren’t allowed here. That’s a rule. The chief’s going to be angry with you.”

“It’s a simple fact.” The brunette whose name was Kinro spoke up. “The rules are the rules.”

“There are no people outside the village.” Ginro continued. “All those outside are criminals who were banished before.”

“Therefore, I can’t let you in,” Kinro added. “There’s no room for consideration, even if he may have saved your life.” 

You furrowed your brows at what those two said, a thought popping into mind. _‘Does kindness not exist amongst these people?’_

“Oh?” Kohaku started in a low voice, tightening her hold on her daggers. “You leave me no choice, then. Shall we fight here and now? Oh, dear, it’s two on one. You clearly have an advantage.”

You shuddered at the dark aura coming from the blonde as she stared at her fellow villagers, who flinched in fear, with low-lidded eyes, blue orbs glinting dangerously. Turning to Senku, you whispered furiously, “Do something before Kohaku kills her own friends!”

The scientist turned his lifted brows to you. “Why do I have to be the one to do it?”

Your hands flailed about, nearly hitting the male in the face as you explained, “W-Well because you’re the smarter one and besides, I don’t know what to do in a situation like this!”

Sighing, Senku obliged and walked over towards Kohaku’s jar. You tilted your head in curiosity, wondering what the scientist was up to as he pulled out his bar of soap with one hand while wetting the other. 

“You’re so short-tempered.” Senku chuckled with a smirk as he rubbed his wet hand all over the soap, creating white foams. “And you made such a nasty face.”

A lightbulb went off in your head at his action and you realized what he was about to do. 

“Sorcery!” Kohaku exclaimed, her body tensing on alert which earned a giggle from you at her naivety. 

Forming his thumb and index fingers into a circle, the scientist started to blow and bubbles of various sizes filled the air. Your lips widened into a wide grin and (e/c) eyes glistened with mirth at the amusing scene before you. 

Kinro let out a startled cry when the bubble he tried to stab with his spear popped while tears of awe gathered in Ginro’s sparkling eyes. “What is this? What are these suspicious floating orbs?” 

Senku, on the other hand, stared blankly at the sight in front of him as Kinro kept popping the bubbles with his spear and Ginro looked like he was worshipping these mysterious orbs as he raised both arms into the air. 

“So, that’s the level you’re at, huh?” Your friend frowned before a wide smirk took over, red eyes blazing with fire. “I guess I’m taking all of this, then. I’m going to get all forty of you on my side with science. This is exhilarating.”

You sweatdropped at the expression on his face while Kohaku commented with a deadpan stare. “You make such a nasty face. That’s pretty sketchy, you know.”

“I can’t stop them!” Ginro, who had joined his partner in trying to stab the bubbles, growled in frustration. “The more I stab, the more appear. All right, then. I’ll have to use…Special Technique: Let Someone Else Handle It!”

The blond turned on his heels, leaving his comrade behind as he ran towards the direction of the village while yelling, “Hey, Chrome, it’s sorcery!”

You watched the retreating teen and wondered who was this Chrome person he just mentioned when a new voice entered the scene. 

“Quit freaking out, Ginro. I’m already here.” 

Whipping your head around, you were met with the sight of a teen with brown hair pointing at the bubbles. “I saw these from the coast. I’d be crazy not to come here right away.”

A wide-eyed Senku and you stared at the brunette as he adjusted the rope headband tied around his head, a few pieces of stray hair falling in his eyes, before pointing to himself. “Hey! I’m Chrome. I’m an insanely smart, genius sorcerer!”

From beside Senku, Kohaku let out a scoff. “Looks like we won’t have to go find him, Senku, (Name). This is the man I told you about yesterday.”

“A sorcerer, huh?” The scientist drawled, wearing a bored expression as he introduced himself. “I’m Senku. I’m a scientist.”

Then, he jerked a thumb in your direction. “And that’s (Name), my lab assistant.”

“Hello,” You greeted with a small wave, a friendly smile tugging at the corners of your lips. “Nice to meet you.”

Turning to the other two who finally left the bubbles alone, Chrome exclaimed, “Don’t let him scare you with his cheap sorcery, Ginro, Kinro. You can make plenty of this stuff from coal suds.”

As the brunette popped two bubbles to prove his point, you and Senku shared a look of surprise, exchanging a silent conversation before focusing on the self-acclaimed sorcerer again. 

_‘_ _Well, this just got interesting._ _’_ You thought to yourself, seeing Chrome in a new light. 

“I wasn’t scared.” Kinro was quick to deny. “You’re a fool if you aren’t cautious of the unknown.”

On the other hand, Ginro was being very honest as he confessed, “I was pretty scared.” 

Ignoring his fellow guardsman, Kinro questioned Chrome whose back was facing him. “Why are you here, Chrome? I have no interest in relying on your dubious, so-called ‘sorcery’.”

“I don’t care. Do as you like.” Said person replied with a wide grin as he grabbed his blue coat and tossed it aside, his eyes never leaving Senku. “But this is one thing I’m not backing down on. No one beats me in sorcery!”

“Don’t get in my way, guys.” He warned the pair. “If we fight here, the villagers would get caught up in it. Let’s move elsewhere.”

And so, the entire group moved the “fight”, as Chrome claimed it to be, to another clearing not far from the village. Upon arriving, the first thing you noticed was a stilted wooden shed. Tilting your head to the side, you couldn’t help but wondered why there was a lone building sitting all the way out here. 

The brunette got down to business and started a campfire, a crazed look reflected in his eyes as they glowed in the burning flames. Everyone, on the other hand, had mixed reactions – you were intrigued, Senku was sceptical, Kohaku looked confused and Kinro looked unimpressed while Ginro was trembling in fear. 

Evil cackles filled the air and Chrome’s fellow villagers’ eyes widened in anticipation of what was about to happen. Letting out a small sigh, Senku took a seat and you followed after him, deciding to enjoy the show in a more comfortable position. 

“Check out my badass sorcery!” Chrome declared; a smirk stretched so wide that it reached the corners of his eyes. “Rainbow Bridge! I am the master of flames!”

As he said that, he lifted his arms into the air and threw something into the fire, causing the flames to flare up as it turned yellow. 

Immediately, those who were standing flinched back in shock with Ginro shouting in a mix of terror and confusion. “The fire turned yellow! How?!”

The brunette repeated what he did before twice and the colour changed from yellow to greenish-blue (“It changed again! To greenish-blue?) to purple (“Purple?!”), wowing his audience, minus you and Senku, who had never seen anything like this before in their lives. 

“Amazing. This is…” Ginro stared at the fire with wide eyes while Kohaku breathed out in awe, finishing the blond’s sentence. “…sorcery.”

(E/C) eyes shone with childish excitement. “Wow! This brings me back to middle school where I first did the experiment and nearly burnt myself in the process!”

Meanwhile, Senku looked very unimpressed as he muttered to himself. “Rainbow Bridge, my ass. It’s just a flame test reaction. You just threw salt, copper and sulfur on it in that order.”

The scientist rose onto his feet and folded his arms across his chest as he questioned Chrome. “What’s the copper? Copper sulfate or something? I guess that doesn’t help. It’s the blue crystals you picked up in the caves, isn’t it?”

Said person was smirking at first until realization dawned upon him. His eyes were bulging as he stared at Senku in disbelief at how the male knew about his blue crystals. The boy began to panic, his mind running wild at this unexpected outcome when he noticed the look of disappointment on Kohaku’s face. 

Chrome instantly tried to convince the blonde, however it looked like he was the one who needed it instead. “You’d better not be thinking that these cheap tricks are the only sorcery I’ve got!"

“I didn’t say anything.” The female bluntly replied. 

“Just wait right there!” Chrome exclaimed and dashed into the shed, the door shutting behind him as he went through his stuff to see what other sorceries he could demonstrate. “I’m going to show you something that can actually be weaponized. This one’s legit, trust me!”

You were torn between being curious and feeling sorry for what the brunette had in mind next because you knew it was going to be just as unimpressive to Senku as his “Rainbow Bridge”. 

“He went to get something,” Ginro noted. 

“Is that why he wanted to relocate?” Kinro questioned. 

“So he needed his tools,” Kohaku remarked. 

The three were so unamused by the whole situation that you couldn’t help the chuckles leaving your lips. 

Soon, Chrome returned with a brown-coloured ball where he proceeded to aggressively rub his arm against it before walking over towards an unsuspecting Ginro while breathing heavily and lifted a finger towards the tip of his nose, although not quite touching it either. 

“Ouch!” The blond cried out when he felt a small spark of electricity, causing him to leap back slightly. “What was that attack?!”

Chrome let out a weak chuckle as his lips lifted into a small smirk when suddenly, Senku reached out a hand to grab the ball from his clutch, earning a startled gasp from the brunette. 

“A ball of sulfur, huh?” The scientist examined the ball and began to explain. “You put that sulfur you threw on the fire earlier into a pot and melt it down with heat. Once it cools and hardens, you crack the outer layer, and you’re done. That’s a crazy way to make one of these things. A sulfur ball static generator. It’s supposed to be a 17th-century invention.”

“Wow,” You breathed out in amazement as (e/c) eyes jumped back and forth between the sulfur ball and the teen. “You’re exhilarating, Chrome, you know that?”

Senku nodded his head in agreement as he grabbed his makeshift flag, removed the cloth and wrapped it around the ball. “Rubbing it with leather instead of your hands will give you ten billion times more power. This is my flag of science.”

Grinning, he began to rub the ball using said hide which produced a way more electrostatic than Chrome had, causing his hair to stand and spread out in all directions, looking very much like a green dandelion. 

After that, he grabbed onto Chrome’s arm and his action caused the teen to shriek in pain at the larger amount of electricity coursing through his body. “Oh, crap!”

Giggling, you clapped your hands in glee. “That was fun!”

“His head’s all spiky!” Ginro exclaimed with jaws dropped wide open in horrified shock. 

“It was spiky before, though,” Kohaku commented offhandedly before tilting her head to the side out of curiosity. “How does that work?”

Ignoring the dying gasp escaping Chrome’s lips as he collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, Senku turned to look at the blonde with a small smirk and tossed the ball towards her.

She caught the ball easily and had a go at it, along with Ginro, their hair standing up as well. Wanting in on the fun too, you bounced over and placed a hand on the ball of sulfur, a peal of laughter leaving your lips as you glanced up at the mass of hair puffing up, looking like an (h/c) dandelion. 

“Hey, give it back!” Chrome yelled as he got up from the ground and threw himself forward to retrieve the ball, only to fall flat on his face again when Kohaku moved it out of his reach. 

“What is this, a kid’s science experiment class? Such primitive…” Senku snorted, but even he couldn’t fight the fond smile pulling at his lips at the sight of (e/c) orbs sparkling with childish delight over something only kids might find entertaining.

However, that smile faded and red eyes softened as his gaze travelled to the wooden shed. “Chrome, did you think all this up by yourself in this primitive village? You gathered all these potentially useful minerals and scientific materials in that shed by yourself?”

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s a problem?” The brunette in question, who had finally gotten his ball of sulfur back, replied defensively. “Kids collect everything. They smash things together, mix them, burn them…And if something crazy happens, that’s sorcery. What else could it be?”

You smiled knowingly at Chrome, eyes lighted with admiration as they glanced up at the shed, thinking to yourself. _‘Check it out, Tsukasa. Even if you kill Senku, even if you kill anyone, even if you reset science…There’s always someone who’ll try anything, and humans will inevitably create a technological civilization.’_

Smirking, Senku approached the teen and leaned forward, startling the other at the sudden close proximity. “Chrome, the way things are going, you’re ten billion percent one of the people Tsukasa is going to kill. Your only choice is to join our kingdom of science.”

The poor boy blinked his eyes in confusion. “Tsukasa? What are you talking about?”

“I’d love to have you and this entire shed of science in our kingdom.” Senku cackled as he made his way towards said shed and began to climb up the ladder leading into the building.

“Senku!” You cried in horror over the scientist’s lack of manners and hurried over, tugging on the bottom of his coat as you tried to pull him back down. “You can’t just invade someone’s property without their permission! It’s rude!”

“You’re not getting it, jerk! Get down!” Chrome yelled before declaring, “I challenge you to one last fight, then. It’s a duel! If you lose, you’ll grovel and leave the village for good. If you win, I’ll give you everything, shed and all.”

“Challenge?” Senku questioned, not the least bit bothered at all. 

“I’ll show you some insane sorcery. I’ve never lost in my whole life.” Chrome exclaimed confidently, pointing a finger at the scientist. “Arithmetic! Fight me in a battle of numbers!”

“I’m pretty sure Senku is going to go undefeated,” Kohaku commented and you nodded your head in agreement. 

The brunette stood no chance against the scientist and he was instantly defeated without a second thought. You winced as Chrome fell onto his hands and knees, accepting his loss without so much of a choice while Senku got what he wanted in the first place. 

He had acquired his first citizen, Chrome and his shed into the Kingdom of Science. 

“Well, at least Chrome has the guts to challenge Senku.” You glanced down at said person who was mumbling how he could have lost so easily. “We got to give him that at least.”

Kohaku simply shrugged before heading over to Senku and you chuckled at her expected response, glancing down at Chrome and stretched a hand towards him. “I, for once, think you’re amazing, Chrome. Besides, I haven’t seen Senku had this much fun in ages.”

Brown met (e/c) as Chrome hesitated, but when he saw the sincerity reflected in those orbs, he allowed you to pull him onto his feet. Dusting off his pants, he let out a snort at what you said about the scientist. “If your definition of fun means making me look stupid, then yes, he’s having the time of his life.”

Chuckling, you shifted your gaze over to Senku who was like a child on Christmas morning as he entered the shed. “I know it may not look like it, but I know Senku. So, trust me.”

The teen furrowed his brows, still a bit doubtful yet decided to take your words on it since you were a close friend of the scientist. Seeing the disbelief written on his face, you smiled in amusement and gestured to his shed. “Let’s go before Senku drives himself insane with your collections.”

A wide grin spread across his face and he nodded in agreement. With that, the two of you headed on over to where Senku and the rest were. 

**Time skipped**

“This is exhilarating!” Senku exclaimed red eyes glimmered with excitement. “How many years did it take you to find all this stuff, dude?” 

“Woah, I’ve never so many minerals in one place before.” You breathed out, (e/c) eyes wide in awe as you glanced around the small room filled with many jars of various shapes and sizes holding all sorts of materials – some lining the shelves while others were scattered across the floor. “I’m impressed.”

“See that? It’s awesome, isn’t it?” Chrome replied with a hint of pride reflected in his eyes. “You may have wrecked me in sorcery and arithme—I mean, I was off my game today anyway…” His face fell upon remembering his defeat, but he perked up once more. “But my collection is the best there is!”

“They’re all just rocks.” Kohaku wore a deadpan expression as she mumbled beneath her breath and you overheard which led to a snicker. 

For the next few minutes, the room was filled with Senku’s and Chrome’s excited chatter as they went through all of the latter’s collections while you stood to the side, entertained by their little show. 

“Malachite! Chalcanthite!” Senku chanted happily as he stared at the two minerals – one blue, the other green – in his hands before a different one caught his eyes. “Corundum!”

“That one’s seriously tough.” Chrome commented as he stared at said mineral held in the scientist’s hands. 

“I have no idea how they’re different.” Kohaku sweatdropped. “Why are you two getting so excited about rocks?”

“Well, everyone has an interest that they like and collecting rocks just so happen to be what these two enjoy.” You laughed. “So, who can really blame them for being over the moon?”

“Oh, man, galena!” Senku cried in joy as hearts spewed out from him. “Lead acquired!”

“That one’s crazy shiny when you break it.” Chrome explained from beside as he grabbed a hammer out of the blue. 

“Nope,” Kohaku responded. “I just can’t understand the way they get so spiritual about collecting rocks.” 

Meanwhile, Ginro piped from beside her. “I used to collect bugs and stuff. Now I can’t even touch them. They creep me out.”

In the background, Senku shouted. “You even have cinnabar!”

That was the last straw as the two decided they had better things to do than to watch the pair freaked out over Chrome’s rock collections. 

“Have fun showing off your trophies,” Kohaku muttered blankly. “I have to deliver the hot springs to my sister.”

You waved the duo off as they left for their village, the doors to the shed swinging shut behind them. You, on the other hand, chose to make yourself comfortable because knowing Senku, you were going to be stuck here for quite some time. 

With that, you took a seat and watched the scientist as he continued to name every other rock he got his hands on; the corners of your lips curled into a fond smile. 

* * *

After the two had finally calmed down, the three of you moved back to the clearing outside of the village’s main bridge where Ginro and Kinro stood guard and gathered in front of them. You raised a brow in curiosity as your green-haired friend broke the cinnabar into smaller pieces, wondering what he was up to now. 

“Cinnabar. Also known as the philosopher’s stone.” Senku explained as he threw said mineral into a clay pot sitting over a small fire. “It showed up in _Dragon Quest_ , too. Heat it up, and you get mercury.”

You giggled at his reference, being the only one who understood, remembering how much of a geek Senku was back in the modern world. Meanwhile, Chrome was intrigued by what was going on, paying rapt attention to the scientist. 

“There they go again with their weird sorcery,” Ginro commented with an unsure smile. 

Kinro, on the other hand, was not amused as he stabbed his spear into the ground and spoke up in a warning tone. “Do as you like outside the village. But take so much as one step over this bridge, and I’ll kill you. Rules are rules.”

Even though you knew the brunette was just doing his duty, you still shuddered in fear at his threat whereas Senku, who was unfazed, simply grinned and began to stir the pot. “Melt some gold dust into the mercury, and…”

After that, he grabbed Kinro’s spear, dipped the tip into the pot which earned a startled look from its owner and placed it into the fire. “Don’t inhale the smoke. It’ll kill you.”

Green eyes widened in fear which earned a light smack to the back of the scientist’s head as you chastised him. “Don’t do that, Senku. It’s not very nice. If you keep scaring others, they won’t want to be our friends anymore.”

Rubbing the spot where you had hit him, Senku scowled in response but said nothing and turned his focus back onto the spear where the metal part was now covered in a layer of gold. 

“And now you have a shiny golden spear.”

He presented the new spear which drew everyone’s attention, letting out awed gasps as they stared into its reflective surface.

“Oh, man!” Chrome exclaimed in amazement. 

“It’s pretty!” You grinned and turned to Senku with sparkling eyes. “You never fail to impress me, Senku!”

Kinro took back his spear and examined the new addition to his weapon before turning to look at the scientist, demanding an explanation. “What good will this sorcery do?”

Senku simply smirked. “It’s not good for jack. But you’re _Kinro_ , aren’t you? So a golden sword. It’s perfect for you.”

Kinro wasn’t swayed by Senku’s words and instead, he narrowed his eyes into a suspicious glare. “I hope you aren’t trying to buy me off with this nonsense.”

“Nuts.” The scientist remarked while you blinked. 

“That won’t work on Kinro.” Chrome scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. “All he ever says is that rules are rules. He’s super stiff.”

“That’s right.” Said person was quick to confirm as he walked back to his post. “Rules are rules.”

There was a second of silence as he held his chin up, a thoughtful frown on his face which earned a curious tilt of your head and wondering what the male could possibly be thinking about. Then, the moment passed and he turned on his heels, marching off into the village with his new shiny spear. 

“Though I don’t see the need to remove it, either.”

You shook your head in amusement while Senku and Chrome locked arms, the corners of their mouths stretching into wide grins as they celebrated their win. 

“He just needs one more push!” Senku cackled. 

Meanwhile, Ginro stared at his brother’s retreating back before turning to the scientist with sparkling eyes. “A-Are there any silver spears?”

However, his request fell on deaf ears as the pair headed back to Chrome’s shed and discussed what was their next course of action while you followed behind, humming a happy tune as you enjoyed the sound of nature. 

**Time skipped**

“You’re like one of those people who spend all their time collecting materials in _Monster Hunter_.” The green-haired scientist noted as the trio entered the clearing. 

“Mon…Hun?” Chrome muttered, the words sounding foreign on his tongue while you skipped ahead to the wooden shed. 

The other two entered after you and Senku’s gaze was immediately drawn to a shelf lined with pots filled with various types of flora. 

“You have plants, too?” The scientist inquired with a raised brow. “Felworts, sweetroot, canker root…They’re all used in traditional medicine.”

“They’re all drugs.” You added, impressed by the brunette’s wide extension of collections. 

When you didn’t hear any sort of response from Chrome, you turned your head around to see what was the matter and noticed said person had fallen silent. Seeing the crestfallen look on his face, you furrowed your brows in slight concern. “Chrome? Is everything alright?”

Brown eyes were staring at the ground as he replied softly, “Yeah. I have no idea if they work or not, though. I’ve been trying them on my own body and collecting the ones that were good.”

The frown on your face deepened at what he said. “I’ll collect anything if it’ll make Ruri better. That’s why I became a sorcerer.”

(E/C) eyes softened when you finally understood why Ginro and Kinro didn’t take him seriously, why his shed filled with all sorts of wonders of science was located so far away from the village and why he was the weird one amongst his own people.

“Senku, is there no sorcery that can save Ruri? No science?” Chrome asked, his hands clenched into tight fists as he stared at said person with desperation. 

Folding his arms across his chest, the teen answered, his mouth set into a serious frown. “It depends on her condition. But in this stone world…”

Your gaze slid over to the scientist as he trailed off mid-sentence, red orbs glowing as he stared at the small candle providing light in the shed as purple and orange ribbons streaked across the darkening sky. 

There was a moment of silence as nobody said anything and Senku collected his thoughts before shifting his gaze to meet a pair of questioning brown eyes. “Chrome, I should tell you everything. Everything that happened 3,700 years ago. About the world before the collapse.”

As the three of you settled down in a circle around the fire, both you and Senku took turns explaining to Chrome about a world filled with all sort of amazing advanced technologies like communication devices, cars and aeroplanes that came in various sizes and structure, how human civilization had evolved from the first aircraft that allowed man to take flight amongst the clouds to walking on the moon and amongst the stars over millions of years. 

However, all these ceased to exist in the next 3,7000 years when a mysterious green light, that appeared out of nowhere, hit the earth and petrified every living human, turning them to stone. 

“And that brings us to where we are now,” Senku concluded. “A world where human civilization is back to square one.”

Silence hung heavily in the air for a few seconds when suddenly, the sound of sniffling filled the room. It was coming from Chrome who had tears streaming down his cheeks and snot dripping from his nose as he bit his lips in an attempt to stop crying. 

“Why are you bawling all of a sudden?” Senku stared incredulously at the sobbing brunette. “What’s up with your emotions?”

Meanwhile, your hands were flailing about in your panicked state, unsure of what to do with the unexpected situation. “Ah, why are you crying? Please don’t cry!”

“I’m not crying!” Chrome protested but then changed his mind again. “Wait, damn it! I am!”

The tears just kept coming, dripping onto the wooden floor like raindrops. “Who caused the petrification? If I ever see them, I’ll kill them! How could we lose this? Our human predecessors spent millions of years slowly building this crazy, technological civilization, and it got wiped out in the blink of an eye?! I’m pissed as hell!”

(E/C) eyes softened with fondness at the kid who got mad even though it didn’t concern him at all. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, you responded softly, “That’s where you’re wrong, Chrome. All hope isn’t lost.”

“It’s not wiped out, idiot,” Senku added. “The whole thing’s right here.”

Upon hearing that, Chrome perked up as he asked, “Where?” 

“Where else do you think it can be?” You winked as you met Senku’s knowing gaze. 

“Humanity isn’t going down that easily. Two million years of human history is right here inside me.” The scientist pointed to his head to prove his point before extending his fist towards Chrome’s chest where his heart was. “And right here inside you. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong. Of course, you’re not.” The brunette wiped away the remaining tears to reveal brown orbs burning with determination as he declared, “Senku, (Name), I’m going to build this nation of science with you. And I’m going to defeat Ruri’s sickness!”

The grin on your face broadened as Chrome rose to his feet, continuing with the same fervour as he asked, “So tell me! Didn’t you say earlier that there's a scientific way to save Ruri?!”

The corners of his lips lifted into a confident smirk as Senku replied, “Yeah. We’re making the ultimate medicine of science…The antibiotic.”


	9. Stone Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got Instagram now! So, come and find me [@rainbendchan](https://www.instagram.com/rainbendchan/) where I'll be posting updates, sneak peeks and the random stuff about anime and occasionally K-pop!

**Chapter 8 - Stone Road**

“Tell me, Senku. How do we make the cure-all medicine?” Chrome exclaimed both hands clenched into fists. “We’re going to defeat Ruri’s sickness!”

“I’ll help in any way I can if it means Ruri-nee will get better!” Kohaku added, just as determined as her fellow brown-haired villager.

It warmed your heart to see how your newfound friends were so adamant on saving someone that they cared for. Although the same couldn’t be said for a certain green-haired scientist who had a different thought in mind, judging by the creepy grin on his face.

“I see what he’s thinking.” Chrome peered through the hole formed with his thumb and index finger, acting as he could physically see what was going on in said person’s head. “He’s planning to save Ruri as part of some sleazy scheme.”

Kohaku nodded her head, her arms folded across her chest in disapproval. “I can’t decide if he’s a gentleman or a slimeball. I guess he’s just logical, but…”

“Well, you aren’t exactly wrong.” You mumbled in agreement and started to sweatdrop when Senku began cackling and rubbing his hands in glee, living up to the rumours of being an actual evil scientist.

“The kingdom of science is going to be making an antibiotic,” Senku explained as he grabbed a stick and began to draw an image of a medicine pill on the ground. “It’s the scientific wonder drug that kills bacteria infecting a person.”

“It’s saved hundreds of millions of lives ever since it was discovered in the early twentieth century.” You added helpfully, a lightbulb going off in your head when you remembered having read about this before, probably from one of Senku’s medical books lying around in his bedroom.

“(Name) got it right,” Senku confirmed and raised a hand to ruffle your hair fondly, the corners of his lips tugged slightly into a small smile, causing two pink spots to appear on your cheeks at the scientist’s rare showcase of affection. “We can’t do blood tests. We have no idea what her disease even is. But it’s worth trying it anyway.”

“All right, let’s get on it right away!” Chrome declared enthusiastically with Kohaku just as eager as she asked, “What do we need?”

Seeing how pumped the duo got about working with Senku to find a cure for Ruri, you were determined to help said person as well even though you weren’t familiar with her. Ready to help in whatever ways you could, you turned to your green-haired friend, exclaiming, “Senku, if there’s anything you need, tell me! I’ll do my best to assist you!”

“We’re missing all kinds of stuff.” Senku sweatdropped at the three pair of expectant gazes directed at him. “Pay attention when I talk.”

An exasperated sigh left his lips as he drew two arrows branching out from the pill before drawing two more images in the dirt. “There are two routes to making antibiotics. We can take the biological route and make penicillin from living things, or we can take the stone route and make sulfa drugs from rocks.”

“Hang on, Senku.” A confused Kohaku stopped the scientist. “Living things? Rocks? How would you make medicine from those?”

Senku met the blonde’s gaze as he began to explain. “Penicillin, made from green mold, is the more famous one. But making penicillin in this stone world would be a crazy game of chance, where we’d be going, _‘Hey, we managed to stumble upon this super green mold that’s ten billion times more powerful, woo!’_. We’ll just have to pray, _‘Please, Lord, give us some of that nice green mold, thanks!’_. Meanwhile, the stone route, making sulfa drugs, will take insane amounts of diligence and manpower, but even in this stone world, we’ll land on the drug, ten billion percent.”

“Then the answer is obvious!” Chrome responded with a firm nod.

“You get it, don’t you?” Senku asked as he turned around to face the trio, the corners of his lips slowly lifting into his trademark smirk that was full of confidence. “We’re neither gods nor geniuses. We crawl around on the ground, making everything step by step.”

Then, the scientist proceeded to draw out an entire map showing the different ingredients and the steps needed to achieve the end goal which was the antibiotic to cure whatever illness Ruri might have. “We’re taking the stone route. We’ll get each of these things one by one and warp right through two million years of science history. This is the science roadmap to the cure-all.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of things needed to be done just to make one thing.” You breathed out, feeling dizzy at the sight of the roadmap. “Where do we even begin?”

Meanwhile, a wide-eyed Kohaku was staring at the roadmap in disbelief, intimidated by how big it was. Chrome, on the other hand, was wearing a huge grin, his cheeks pinked with excitement.

“Oh, damn, man! Let’s start with this ‘iron’ stuff, then.” The brunette pointed to the drawn image in the ground, only to realize he didn’t even know what iron was and turned to Senku with furrowed brows. “Wait, what _is_ iron, anyway? Teach me everything.”

“Iron isn’t going to be that easy.” The green-haired teen answered by means of explanation.

“Senku-sensei’s sorcery science classes, huh?” Kohaku mumbled with crossed arms, looking like a lost sheep. “I don’t think I could even keep up.”

“Cheer up, Kohaku!” You beamed, placing an encouraging hand on her shoulder. “After hearing his lectures a few more times, you’ll get used to it. Trust me!”

“I can’t wait for that day to come,” The blonde responded flatly as Senku began to educate Chrome on what exactly iron was.

Timed skipped

“Are you serious?!” Damn!” Chrome exclaimed, wide brown eyes sparkling with disbelieved awe. “The planet’s the one that’s moving?! Dude!”

“Yeah, that’s right.” A half-dead Senku, who was lying on his back with his limbs sprawled out in a starfish style, responded.

You were seated on the ground next to the green-haired teen, chuckling at the poor scientist who had been exhausted from an entire day of endless questioning about science and how the world worked.

Even when the moon took over the sun’s position in the sky with its many brethren of stars, the pair was still bombarding Senku with their needs to satisfy their curiosities.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Kohaku glanced down at the green-haired male from her current position up in a tree. “Why am I not being flung off this branch, then?”

“Because there’s gravity.” You answered on Senku’s behalf as you gently lifted his head off the ground, scooted closer and placed it in your lap.

Your lips curled into a fond smile when your friend let out a soft, pleased sigh at the more comfortable headrest, his eyelids falling shut as he rested for a bit while you ran your fingers through his hair.

“I always thought it was weird.” Chrome piped up, lifting his gaze towards the night sky dotted with twinkling diamonds. “Some of the stars don’t move at all.”

Pointing to the brightest and biggest star amongst its other brethren, you began to explain, “That’s the North Star. It’s a very useful star since it indicates the true north.”

Senku peeked an eye opened and hummed in agreement. “(Name)’s right. So, remember that.”

“Oh, is it?” The brunette questioned while slight confusion could be heard in Kohaku’s voice as she commented, “It seems slightly off from true north.”

“It can’t be,” Senku responded as he got up from where he was lying in your lap. “It’s within the margin of error—”

Suddenly, the scientist stopped mid-sentence, red eyes widening in realization. “Earth’s axis is shifting! The whole planet has tilted slightly over the past 3,700 years. It’s currently AD 5,379. The North Star’s moved! No wonder my GPS screwed up and got me lost on my way to Hakone.”

“That explains why it took us so long to get there!” (E/C) orbs shone with understanding while Kohaku and Chrome exchanged puzzled glances, not comprehending what either of you was saying.

Senku let out a disbelieving chuckle. “A true scientist would laugh at me. How could I not have seen that? You guys are way more observant because you have no preconceived notions. I’m such a loser.”

“You don’t seem like a loser to me, Senku.” Kohaku scoffed; her lips curled into a smirk.

You nodded your head vigorously, agreeing wholeheartedly with the blonde. “That’s right, Senku! It isn’t your fault that you missed out on a detail or two. You are human after all.”

“I’m not saying that to put myself down.” The green-haired teen reassured. “I think of myself as being so rational, but I couldn’t keep up on this scale. That’s all. 3,700 years. It never hit me until now how insanely long that is.”

Your face softened upon hearing that, knowing exactly how Senku felt. You lifted your gaze to stare at the North Star – something familiar yet so different at the same time. “The world we know is no more, isn’t it?”

Senku responded with a hum as his eyes followed your stare, both of you looking at the North Star shining brightly in the night sky. Then, out of nowhere, a thought crossed the scientist’s mind.

Turning to Kohaku, he asked. “Wait, how did you know that the ex-North Star isn’t true north?”

The question caught Chrome’s attention and for the first time, he realized he might have an upper hand against Senku. “Oh! So even the great Senku doesn’t know about this rock! This crazy rock that I happened to find on a bald mountain!”

The brunette was trembling with eagerness as he held out a pot filled with water and at the centre, there was a floating leaf with the aforementioned rock sitting on it. “For some reason, when you hang it or float it, it always points straight north! Isn’t that nuts?”

The scientist’s eyes widened slightly as he replied, “It’s a magnet.”

Chrome fell onto his back, crying out, “You know of it?! Damn it!”

A wide grin painted his lips as Senku picked up the small piece of rock. “Good going, Chrome. If we have magnets…”

“…we’ll have iron!” You finished your friend’s sentence, unable to contain your excitement as you turned to the brunette and hugged him with all your strength. “Chrome, you’re amazing! This just makes our job ten billion times easier!”

“H-Huh?” A very confused Chrome blinked his eyes once, then twice before he finally comprehended your words. “O-Of course! It’s no big deal! After all, it’s just another day’s job of the insanely genius sorcerer!”

“This is nothing to be proud of.” Kohaku snorted, yet the slight upward curl on her lips didn’t go unnoticed by you.

You giggled as the brunette scowled at the blonde who just rolled her eyes, not the least bit bothered which led to the teen grumbling beneath his breath. The three of you were joined by Senku as he approached the group, choosing to stand next to you.

Using your shorter height to his advantage, he rested an arm on your head and practically placed all his weight on your body, causing you to stumble slightly as a startled yelp left your lips.

“Senku!” You let out a small whine when you managed to stable yourself, your mouth forming into a pout. “You’re heavy! Get off of me!”

However, said scientist ignored your cries of protest as he focused his attention on the other two with your head still acting as his armrest. “We’ll officially start our science journey to making the antibiotic tomorrow. The road ahead of us isn’t going to be easy, so make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight while you still can.”

“Of course!” Both Chrome and Kohaku chorused in unison, their eagerness causing a smirk to tug at the corners of Senku’s lips.

After that, they said their goodnights and headed back to their village while you and Senku went in the opposite direction towards Chrome’s science shed where it had become both of your homes ever since the two of you arrived at the village.

That night as you laid in your sleeping bag with the comforting sound of crickets chirping in the background and Senku’s light snoring, you found yourself thinking of your new life spent with the scientist in this stone world; bringing a small smile to your lips as you drifted off to dreamland.

**Time skipped**

The next morning was met with the sun blazing hotly overhead, making it the perfect weather to go looking for iron sand in the river. With that, everyone stripped off their clothing until they were dressed in nothing but their undergarments and proceeded to jump off from a small cliff into the river below, all but for Kohaku who didn’t want to get wet.

Laughter spilled from your beaming lips as you resurfaced, combing back dark (h/c) locks out of your eyes, only to be met with a splash of water to your face no thanks to a certain green-haired teen.

“Senku!” You let out a squeal and raised both hands to cover your face as said person repeated his previous action a few more times, his lips curling into a mischievous grin. “Stop splashing water at me!”

The scientist finally took pity on you and stopped, smirking with satisfaction as you stood there looking like a drowned rat.

“Not funny,” You grumbled and swept all of your hair to one side, wringing out the excess water. “We shall see who has the last laugh when I do the same to you…”

You trailed off when a glistening water drop on Senku’s bare chest caught your attention, (e/c) orbs tracing its movement as it rolled down his abs before disappearing into the waistline of his underwear.

For the next few seconds, everything faded into the background as you stood there like a statue, admiring the view in front of you as your thoughts drifted off into dreamland. Then, you remembered where you were and snapped out of it, your face turning a brilliant shade of red when you met the scientist’s eyes who had a brow raised in question.

“I-I wasn’t staring at you, I-I mean, I was b-but—” Your hands flail about as you tried to explain yourself but gave up when you were just making things more awkward for yourself. “You know what? I think I’ll just stop disturbing you and get to work!”

You didn’t hang around for a response and turned on your heels, basically fleeing from Senku as your ears burnt with embarrassment and shame at being caught red-handed by said person for staring at his abs.

(Meanwhile, a certain scientist was left behind, staring at your retreating back in confusion and wondering what was that all about.)

Your cheeks were flushed a light pink and in a bid to forget what just transpired, you got down to business. Using the magnetic rock provided by Chrome, you dipped it into the water and in no time at all, you had collected quite the amount of iron sand from the riverbed.

“Look at how much it picked up.” Kohaku breathed out in awe as she held out her magnet covered in black sand. “All this suspicious black sand!”

Her childlike wonder brought a fond smile onto your face as you removed the iron sand from your magnetic rock and placed them in the small bag, used for collection, slung over your shoulder.

“We’re finally taking the first step on the road to the kingdom of science. The curtain is rising on the age of iron!” Senku said. “Now that’s exhilarating.”

“Erm,” You arch your eyebrows as you stared at what was happening in front of you. “Just what exactly are the two of you doing?”

Instead of collecting iron sand, both Chrome and Senku were lounging on some boulders by the side of the river, looking totally relaxed as they sipped on their drinks while watching the girls hard at work.

“Seriously, though, that lioness…” The scientist ignored you and turned to address the brunette resting next to him instead. “Is everyone in your village like that?”

“We have a few brute strength gorillas, but Kohaku’s the only agile gorilla.” Chrome answered.

“I said I’m not a gorilla!” Kohaku was quick to protest, her brows furrowing in anger as she began to point an accusing finger at the pair. “Also, (Name) and I are doing all the collecting here! Why don’t you guys get off your asses and do some work, too? We don’t have enough manpower!”

“Sorry,” The two apologised and immediately got to work, not wanting to incur the blonde’s wrath any further, especially when she delivered a hard blow to Chrome’s head.

You resumed as well and soon, the four of you were working in comfortable silence minus the sound of water flowing in the background. However, a few minutes later, you realized even with everyone working, not much progress was being made and at this rate, you were going to be here forever.

“Kohaku has a point,” You straightened your body and wiped away the sweat that was starting to form on your forehead. “This is going to take all day.”

Chrome, who heard your concern, piped up. “Should I get someone from the village to help out?”

“That’s a good idea, but I don’t think any of them will be willing to help us.” You responded, a wry smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

“As far as the villagers know, you three are suspicious sorcerers.” Kohaku hummed in agreement, keeping away the iron sand before glancing over with a small frown. “Sadly, no one’s going to come help.”

Both you and Senku let out a deep sigh of defeat and went back to collecting iron sand when something caught your attention. Glancing up, you noticed a melon heading in your direction, flowing steadily down the river.

“A watermelon?” The green-haired teen furrowed his brows in confusion as said melon came to a stop in front of the group.

Wondering where the watermelon could have come from, you approached the bobbing fruit with a hint of curiosity when suddenly, it rose from the water and a figure popped up from nowhere, startling everyone.

You were frightened by the unexpected presence that you lost your balance, your arms flailing about as you fell backwards onto your ass and into the water.

“Oh, it’s Suika!” Kohaku spoke up, instantly recognising another one of her fellow villagers. Although, the blonde seemed surprised by her sudden appearance as she asked, “Why are you here?”

The girl with the watermelon mask, also known as Suika, held up her right hand to reveal a magnetic rock covered in iron sand as her answer.

“Did you follow us here?” Kohaku questioned further as she walked over to the younger girl, a small, but noticeable, fond smile on her lips as she patted the top of her watermelon mask.

“Her name is Suika?” Senku inquired as he helped you onto your feet, earning a grateful smile in return.

“It’s a nickname, probably. She’s always wearing a watermelon rind.” Chrome answered before letting out a surprised yell when he noticed the magnetic rock in said person’s hold. Fuming, he marched over to Suika and snatched said object out of her hand. “Hey, Suika! You took my magnet!”

The brunette gave the other a stink eye before glancing at the magnetic rock in his hands, brown orbs widening when he noted how there was black sand covering it. “Iron sand.”

“I want to help.” Suika spoke up for the first time since her arrival, causing all eyes to turn onto the small girl; her hands dipped into the water as she tried to look for iron sand but without the magnet rock, it was a difficult feat. “I can never make myself useful to anyone because I have this thing on my head. That’s not going to change even when I grow up.”

Upon hearing that, a sense of guilt washed over Chrome as he glanced down at the magnetic rock in his hand, remembering how he had treated Suika who didn’t deserve any of it when all she wanted to do was to help.

(E/C) eyes softened with understanding, knowing exactly what she meant because you were like her once, even now you still felt this way at times. _‘I used to be like Suika, wanting to help Senku in whatever way I could even though I just get in his way all the time.’_

Straightening her body, Suika glanced up at Senku with her arms wide open, her voice filled with determination as she said, “So if there’s ever anyone in need…”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” The green-haired scientist interrupted Suika mid-sentence and her head drooped in slight disappointment, thinking he was annoyed at what she said but perked up once more at his next few words. “I appreciate it. The kingdom of science doesn’t turn anyone away. We need all the help we can get.”

The corners of his lips lifted into a small smirk before shifting his gaze to meet yours, a knowing glint in his eyes. Your cheeks flushed a light pink when (e/c) met red as a warm smile tugged at the edges of your mouth, your earlier thought coming back to mind.

Nodding your head in agreement, you approached Suika with your magnetic rock and placed it into her opened palms with an encouraging grin. “With someone as small as you, you would be ten billion times better at gathering sand. We’re counting on you, Suika.”

The young girl with her watermelon mask curled her fingers around the rock and a small gasp of awe left her lips as she glanced up at the two of you, seemingly taken aback by both your actions and words as though she wasn’t used to such reactions from others.

“He’s the first person to not ask me why I’m wearing this on my helmet.” Suika mumbled thoughtfully as she stared at Senku’s retreating back and then, understanding dawned upon her as she exclaimed with a light blush dusting her visible cheeks. “He must have thought I don’t want anyone to see my face, so he’s being nice.”

You couldn’t help the giggles escaping your lips at her assumption because you knew better and it seemed like you weren’t the only one who thought so.

“You really don’t know Senku. You’re glorifying him too much.” Kohaku responded with a wry smile while Chrome frowned in agreement, his arms folded across his chest as he added on, “He just doesn’t care what you look like, as long as you’re useful.”

“Well, at least Senku didn’t completely turn her down. So, he isn’t all that bad, honestly.” You hummed and the two, although slightly reluctant, agreed with your statement.

“I’m going to gather all the iron sand!” Suika declared all of a sudden and the next thing you knew, the watermelon was back and was propelling down the river at a faster speed than before while chanting, “Donburako, donburako…”

“Who are you, Momotaro?! Chrome yelled after Suika. “Don’t drown!”

“She’s adorable,” You chuckled at the young girl’s enthusiasm when suddenly what the brunette said registered in your mind and turned to said person with furrowed brows. “You don’t know _Dragon Quest_ or _Monster Hunter_ , but you do know _Momotaro_?”

Senku, who overheard the word as well, stopped what he was doing and glanced over to Chrome to question him as well. “Who taught you?”

“Hey, you know Momotaro, too?” The teen responded with a small grin.

“Ruri-nee told us all about him.” Suika added, her watermelon head bobbing up and down in the water.

Both you and Senku exchanged glances with each other, wondering who exactly this “Ruri” person was and how she did know so much about the old world. Despite wanting to find out more, the two of you chose to leave this mystery alone, for now, knowing that you would eventually get the answers you were looking for.

Suddenly, a thought came to the scientist as he turned to the other three with raised brows. “Come to think of it, why do you know about gorillas? Are they out in the wild?”

“I’ve never actually seen one,” Kohaku confessed while Chrome pointed out. “But there’s a gorilla in _Momotaro_ , isn’t there?”

“No, there isn’t!” Senku was quick to disagree and you nodded your head in agreement, remembering how there weren’t any mentions of gorillas in the famous Japanese folklore.

“He used millet dumplings to win friends, remember?” The brunette recounted the story. “A bear, a lion, a gorilla, and an alligator.”

“What kind of wild-ass Momotaro is that?!” You exclaimed, sweatdropping at the image painted by Chrome when a thought occurred to you. _‘Was it meant to be an easy-to-understand story to teach about dangerous animals?’_

“I heard all kinds of stories from Ruri-nee, too.” Kohaku chipped in as she came to a realization. “Come to think of it, I think I learned all my big words from Ruri-nee, too.”

_‘Ruri…Just who are you?’_ Your frown deepened as the girl in question became even more of a mystery.

Senku seemed to share your sentiment, his interest in said person piquing even more. “I’m low-key interested in this Ruri chick. We really need to make the cure all and save her, whatever it takes.”

“What do you mean, you’re interested in Ruri?” Chrome demanded out of nowhere. “What does that mean, Senku?”

Red eyes blinked in confusion, not understanding the sudden hostility coming from the brunette whereas (e/c) orbs widened in mild surprise as realization dawned upon you.

Meanwhile, unlike you who got the notion straightaway, a clueless scientist needed someone to point it out to him and Kohaku was more than happy to do so as she called for his attention, whispering into his ear. “Senku, Senku, Senku-sensei…Chrome seems to have a crush on Ruri-nee…”

“So that’s what it was.” The green-haired teen responded in a deadpan voice, looking very unimpressed after learning the reason. “Here we go.”

“And Chrome’s such a child,” Kohaku said teasingly as both of them turned on their heels, walking away from said person with smirks on their faces. “I like how oblivious he is.”

You, on the other hand, walked up to the brunette and placed a hand on his shoulders to show your understanding and support. “Don’t worry, Chrome! You aren’t alone in this! Birds of the same flock stick together, so I’m here for you. We’ll get through the tough times together.”

“What are you guys talking about?!” Chrome glanced back and forth between you and the other two in confusion, only to let out a small growl of frustration at being ignored. “Damn it, who are you calling a child?!”

* * *

After hours of hard work under the hot sun, the group managed to collect enough iron sand to fill an entire large pot to the brim and it was time to move onto the next step in ironmaking.

“So the black sand we got from the river turns into this ‘iron stuff’?” Suika asked, her tone filled with curiosity as she glanced into the pot full of the black stuff.

“Yeah,” Senku answered, his gaze drifting towards the younger girl. “Mix four parts iron sand to one-part coal, and bake.”

Chrome, who was doing the weighing along with Kohaku, piped up. “Hey, that’s easy.”

“It’s harder than it sounds,” Senku snorted and began to explain in further details. “It’s not like making clay pots. The highest temperature we can get by burning wood is 700 degrees. But ironmaking, turning iron sand into iron, requires 1,500 degrees.”

“That’s not even close to enough.” You furrowed your brows at that realization. “What do we do?”

“We blow like hell.” The scientist replied as everyone gathered in front of the furnace that was made beforehand.

“We have to give it as much oxygen as we can. We’ll send in a ton of air…” Senku paused to grab handmade fans, tossing one to each person as he went on. “…double the flame’s damage output from 700 to 1,500.”

“This thing blows air?” Kohaku exclaimed in awe while Chrome and Suika tested out their own fans. “With something this useful, I could probably do it by myself.”

You, on the other hand, didn’t share the same enthusiasm that the blonde had. Instead, you were filled with a sense of dread as you stared at the fan in your possession with dismay, muttering to yourself. “Why do I have a feeling that none of us is going to come out of this alive?”

Senku was the opposite of reassurance as he responded to Kohaku’s confident declaration. “You can make that claim that once you’ve done it. We’re never going to have enough manpower.”

And true to your words, the air was soon filled with screams of suffering as all five of you kept pumping air into the furnace in order to achieve the right temperature needed to melt the iron sand.

“Damn it, my arms are killing me!” Chrome cried out in pain as he struggled to keep going.

“Don’t you dare take a break!” Senku shouted, not faring any better either. “It’ll get cooler!”

“How many more minutes are we doing this?!” Kohaku asked through gritted teeth.

“Roughly…another…twenty to thirty hours.” The scientist barely managed to respond as he gasped for air, his lungs and arms hurting from all the pumping.

“Another thirty hours?!” You wailed as tears gathered in the corners of your eyes. “We’re gonna die at this rate!”

“Ironmaking is insane!” The four of you cried at the top of your lungs, wanting for this nightmare to be over.

Suika, being the youngest and weakest amongst everyone, was the first to go as her arms gave in and she fell onto her back, unable to go on any longer.

“Don’t push yourself, Suika!” Kohaku told the girl even though she looked like she was on her way to joining her. “Take a break!”

A tear of disappointment leaked from the corner of her right eye as Suika laid motionless on the ground. _‘I still can’t make myself useful.’_

Yells of suffering increased tenfold as the remaining four, with whatever strength was left of them, kept going through the night and into the next morning.

The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon as everyone slowly began to stir after passing out from working themselves to death. It wasn’t long before all five of you were wide awake as Senku broke open the furnace to check on the progress that they had made which was basically none considering how the iron sand still remained in its solid form.

“Manpower is our top priority.” The scientist scowled, brows furrowing in frustrated anger. “The kingdom of science needs more citizens.”

With that, the group headed towards the village in search of more people when they came across Ginro fast-asleep at his post by the main bridge.

“The spear…” The blonde mumbled in his sleep, subconsciously tightening his hold on his spear. “Kinro…”

“I knew it.” Senku glanced down at the snoring teen, his lips curled into a smug grin. “We almost have Ginro.”

“Good.” Chrome, whose expression mirrored the scientist’s, cackled with glee. “This is working in our favour!”

Shadows fell over their eyes as they glimmered with evil delight at their tactic of recruiting people into the kingdom of science. “We’re using the bait that is science to gain manpower!”

“Quit calling it bait, both of you.” Kohaku glared at the duo; her arms folded in disapproval while you sweatdropped at their dark expressions.

“But it’s not like the whole village is going to appreciate a shiny spear.” You stated with a small frown.

“(Name) has a good point,” Senku replied and turned to the other three from the village. “We need intel about what people want.”

“I’m good at that kind of thing!” Suika piped up with a raised arm and all eyes turned to her. “I can turn into a watermelon, so I can go anywhere without being noticed!”

To demonstrate her point, the young girl spun around before tucking her petite frame into her mask and just like that, she became an innocent-looking watermelon where no one would suspect a single thing.

Everyone let out sounds of awe, impressed by this little neat trick of hers.

“Not bad,” Senku chuckled and decided to assign this task to the watermelon on the ground. “All right, Great Detective Suika-sama, we call on your service to find us manpower for ironmaking.”

“You got this, Great Detective Suika!” Chrome cheered.

“You can do this, Suika-sama!” You gave the girl an encouraging grin. “I believe in you!”

With that, the beaming watermelon bounced a few times before rolling into the village to gather as much intel as she could.

**Time skipped**

By the time Suika returned from her mission, night had fallen and everyone was currently gathered around the fire by the science shed, enjoying their dinner while Suika reported on her findings. “I went to listen in on people to see if there’s anything they want. First, the dazzling sisters, Garnet, Sapphire, and Ruby.”

“Ah, the prettiest girls in town.” Kohaku piped in with her own comment.

“What those three really want…” Suika began.

“I’d appreciate if it’s something we can make with technology of this age,” Senku commented and you agreed, shuddering as you thought back to last night where you nearly died from ironmaking.

“…is a boyfriend!” Suika announced into the clay megaphone that she had pulled out of thin air.

“And that’s something we have no chance of making with science!” Senku deadpanned.

“Well, that wasn’t helpful at all.” You noted with a raised brow.

“They’re perfectly faithful to their desires,” Kohaku grumbled before letting out a snot as she turned to address the scientist. “If you ask me, you’re quite an attractive man, Senku.”

You instantly tensed up at the blonde’s statement, not liking where this was going. Ignorant to your inner plight, the teen continued. “But I don’t think you’re the kind of ‘handsome man’ that Sapphire’s asking for.”

_‘For once, I’m so glad that Senku isn’t interested in romance and girls.’_ You sighed in relief; your shoulders relaxing at the passing threat of other girls vying for the scientist’s attention.

“Look at them, saying whatever they want.” Chrome grumbled as he glared at his fish in annoyance. “This is the problem with women. That’s why I hate women.”

“You’re such a child, Chrome.” Kohaku grinned as she sidled up to the brunette chomping away on his fish, hoping to tease him. “Ruri-nee, (Name) and I are women, so do you hate us?”

However, the teen didn’t fall for the bait as he replied bluntly. “Kohaku, I don’t think of you as a woman. You’re a gorilla.”

You didn’t know if you should laugh or feel sorry for the brunette who was on his knees and begging for forgiveness when Kohaku pulled out her shield and daggers, breathing heavily down on the teen. “I’m sorry.”

Ignoring the pair, Senku turned his attention to Suika. “I think I have a shot with the one who wants someone to feed her. What does she want?”

You perked up at the mention of food and decided to focus on their conversation, in case there was something you could contribute to since cooking was the one thing you were good at.

“A feast, like fish and stuff.” The younger girl answered when a thought came to her. “Speaking of feasts, Ganen, the biggest glutton in town, said he’s bored to death of eating grilled fish every day. He’s been looking for something new to try.”

Upon hearing that, the edges of Senku’s lips curled into his trademark smirk as he chuckled in glee, causing both Chrome and Kohaku to glance over with questioning eyes.

“I knew you could do it, Great Detective Suika-sama.” Senku praised said girl, red eyes glowing in the fire as his gaze shifted over to you. “I can already see the scientific bait we need to get them on our side.”

You could tell what the scientist was thinking of as an excited smile appeared on your face.

“Are you actually going to cook for them?” Kohaku questioned the green-haired teen with a raised brow, thinking he was the one who was going to be the chef.

Chrome, ever interested in science, asked, “What does that have to do with science?”

“It has everything to do with science,” Senku grinned. “Food _is_ science. Where do you think the umami of the fish you eat every day comes from? It’s glutamic acid and inosinic acid.”

Then, he turned to you with a raised brow. “Am I right?”

“I didn’t understand a single word you just said,” You confessed, but despite that, there was a determined glint in your (e/c) eyes. “But, I’ll do my best so leave it to me!”

The grin on Senku’s face softened into a fond smile, letting out a small chuckle as his gaze never left your figure, feeling contented to just watch in silence as you muttered to yourself, brows furrowing in concentration as you racked your brain on what to cook.

His heart was filled with an unknown emotion which the scientist had been feeling ever since the two of you reunited in this stone world and while he still couldn’t quite place a finger on it, he discovered that maybe it wasn’t so bad to like this warm, fuzzy feeling after all.

“I want to prepare something that will blow the villagers’ taste buds out of this world but there aren’t many options to begin with due to the limited ingredients in this stone world.” You huffed in frustration, your bottom lips sticking out into a small pout as you crossed your arms and sulked.

Suddenly, barking noises could be heard and you turned your head towards the sound where you were greeted with the adorable sight of Suika playing with a white dog that wasn’t there before.

However, what caught your attention was the feather-like thing which she was using as a pet toy. 

“Suika,” You called out to the young girl and pointed to the object in her hand. “What is that, anyway?”

“This is my friend Chalk’s favourite toy.” She responded, bending down to pat her dog on the head. “Dogtail millet!”

“You mean foxtail millet.” Senku corrected from beside you.

At that moment, you struck gold as an idea popped into mind and you jumped onto your feet, startling everyone as you exclaimed, “That might work!”

(E/C) eyes burnt with exhilaration as the corners of your lips stretched into a wide grin, threatening to split your cheeks in half. “We might be able to make the world’s most delicious dish that everyone in my old world loves!”

* * *

The next day, the team got to work and the first agenda on the list was gathering foxtail millets. With Kohaku’s help, that task was completed without any difficulties thanks to the blonde’s trusty daggers.

“We’re making gourmet survival food from scratch.” Senku grinned as he grabbed a handful of foxtail millets and began to beat them against a rock and everyone followed after his example. “Now that’s exhilarating.”

“We aren’t actually eating this foxtail millet, are we?” Kohaku asked, scepticism written all over her face as she stared at said plants in her hands. “I think I’ll pass.”

Giggling, you reassured the blonde. “Don’t worry, we aren’t eating the actual plant itself. The reason we’re whacking the hell out of it to husk it so we _can_ eat it. It may not seem like it, but foxtail millet is genuinely ten billion percent a grain. Isn’t that right, Senku?”

The scientist paused in his whacking and glanced up, red meeting (e/c) as the corners of his lips lifted into a small smirk. “(Name)’s correct. It’s a primitive millet.”

Your cheeks flushed with pride as your mouth stretched into a beaming grin at the green-haired teen’s praise, earning low chuckles from said person before focusing on the task at hand once more.

The grains were placed into a large clay pot and soon, with everyone’s hard work, it was filled to the maximum in no time at all.

“It looks mighty nasty.” Kohaku frowned in mild disgust as she peered into the pot filled with said green stuff.

“It’s covered in furry stuff.” Suika added.

Meanwhile, Chrome, who was tasked with fetching water while everyone worked on the husking, finally returned with a large jar of water – struggling underneath its heavyweight as he was being mindful not to spill a single drop.

While the exhausted teen tried to catch his breath, you instructed Kohaku to grab the pot filled with foxtail millet husks and slowly poured it into the jar of water. Using a long branch as a stirrer, Senku began to stir while you explained his action to the rest.

“This is to separate unwanted stuff like stray leaves or any remaining husks so that when we drained the water later, all that will be left behind are the grains which are what we need to make the flour.”

To demonstrate your point, you grabbed a small basket and scooped out the remaining leaves and husks. After which, both you and Senku worked together to drain the water and just like that, a basketful of clean foxtail millet grains was ready to be converted into flour.

“Next, we need to grind all these grains into a fine powder and then we’ll be done with the first step!”

“What?!” A wide-eyed Chrome yelled in disbelief. “You mean we’re just getting started?!”

“Yeap!” You popped the “p”, giggling as your friends let out collective groans at the thought of going through another hellish experience again in the name of science.

Despite the initial complaints, everyone got down to work; sweat dripping down the side of their faces as they ground the grains into a fine powder which essentially was the flour.

“It’s a cycle of inspiration and trial-and-error. Food is a perfect example of science.” Senku smirked as he stared at the pile of green powder in front of him. “Now we have wheat flour or rather, foxtail millet flour!”

The victorious grin on your face mirrored everyone else’s as all five of you exchanged high fives, cheeks flushing with success at gaining flour – the hardest and most important ingredient in the recipe.

“Toss in wild bird eggs and tenderize it using potassium carbonate,” Senku explained as you added the two items into the bowl of flour and using your bare hands, you began to mix everything together while the scientist went on. “It’s a dish of science discovered accidentally by some nameless Mongol sometime around the fourth century.”

“I guess there was a crazy nut like you, Chrome, who would try anything.” You winked at said brunette, a small smile on your lips. “Even in fourth-century Mongolia.”

Everyone watched from the sideline as you got down to the main part of the show. After chopping the dough into individual thick strips, you placed them in hot, boiling water to cook before moving onto making the broths.

You tossed some vegetables, a whole piece of chicken and bones into a pot while fishes and herbs were added into another smaller one. Soon, the soups were boiling over high heat and a delicious aroma began to fill the air.

Both Chrome and Kohaku, who had never smelt anything like this before, couldn’t help drooling as they took in a deep breath of the delightful smell. “Th-This scent…”

“We had a name for this stupidly good scientific food 3,700 years ago.” You began, pouring soup into five bowls and added the noodles before presenting the finished results to your anticipated audience with a small grin. “We called it ‘ramen’.”

“But this is actually foxtail millet, isn’t it?” Kohaku questioned with furrowed brows, still feeling slightly doubtful.

Noticing how hesitant his fellow villagers were, Chrome volunteered to be the first one to try this so-called ramen. “I’ll make sure it’s safe! It’s the duty of a sorcerer not to be afraid of anything new!”

With that, he brought his chopsticks to his mouth and you watched with bated breath. For a heartbeat or two, there was nothing but the sound of noodles slurping before brown orbs widened tenfold, the brunette yelling at the top of his lungs. “I-It’s good!”

“Dude!” Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as the brunette practically inhaled the noodles, his cheeks flushed with happiness.

Seeing the positive reaction from Chrome, both Suika and Kohaku decided to give their own bowls of ramen a try.

“It’s so chewy and slippery!” The watermelon-masked girl cried as she kept eating, unable to stop even if she wanted to. “I’ve never had anything like it!”

“I can’t believe such a thing would exist in this world!” The blonde exclaimed as she ate a bigger mouthful as compared to her first bite.

Meanwhile, Chrome, who had already finished his own share, was speechless with tears streaming down his face as he held up his empty bowl.

All three of them were lost beyond words as they floated through this state of euphoria, their mouths watering at the thought of having a second round of this out-of-the-world food that they had never tasted before until now.

At this point, you were beaming with happiness at the sight of your friends enjoying your cooking, but you wouldn’t be satisfied until you heard something from Senku. After all, ramen was his favourite food and it was your dream to cook for him again.

Turning to the scientist with expectant eyes, you opened your mouth but before you could even say anything, he already got the memo.

“I’ll guess I’ll dig in, too. It’s been 3,700 years since I've had a proper meal.” Senku said and grabbed his own bowl, muttering a quick thanks before taking the first bite.

With each passing second, you were growing nervous as Senku remained silent even after swallowing, his face blank of any expressions.

“S…Senku?” You poked him in the shoulders, trying to get a reaction out of the quiet teen.

He placed his bowl back onto the ground and when his eyes lifted to meet yours, you knew the answer even before he said anything.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” You questioned and Senku hesitated for a moment as he didn’t want to hurt your feelings but eventually told the truth.

“It wasn’t proper at all.” The scientist answered with a wry grin. “The noodles made from foxtail millet flour was so damn crumbly, and it has a horrible, bitter aftertaste.”

You let out a small sigh, not exactly surprised since you didn’t have the right ingredients to make the ramen that both of you were familiar with from 3,700 years ago. Still, you decided to give it a try.

“There’s no turning back now.” You mumbled and ate from your bowl, instantly understanding what the scientist meant by the noodle leaving a bitter aftertaste. “The ramen reminds of those medicines I used to hate taking as a kid.”

“Well, you aren’t exactly wrong.” Senku chuckled at the grimace on your face before glancing over to the trio who looked like they had ascended to heaven. “Then again, for them, I’m sure it’s the food of the gods.”

You nodded your head in agreement, a confident glint in your eyes as you replied, “This’ll work. Foxtail millet ramen!”

The corners of his lips curled into one of his rare smiles as Senku raised a hand to pat you on the head, red eyes softening with prideful joy. “You delivered what you promised. As expected of my lab assistant. Good job, (Name).”

(E/C) eyes lit up with delight, your cheeks pinking at the scientist’s praise as you made a promise to him. “I’ll definitely make better ramen next time. Just watch me, Senku. I won’t give up until you get to taste your favourite food again!”

The sound of laughter warmed your heart as the grin on Senku’s face widened, red orbs glimmered like rubies in the afternoon sun as he responded, “I’ll hold you to that then.”

You had never been more in love with the green-haired scientist at that moment as both of you gazed into each other’s eyes with matching grins on your faces. 


	10. Let There Be the Light of Science

**Chapter 9 – Let There Be the Light of Science**

The sound of a melodious tune could be heard echoing throughout the surrounding area as Suika blew her seashell, attracting the villagers’ attention as all heads turned towards the village’s main bridge where they could see a cart rolling up to. 

“People have waged wars over pepper. That’s how fundamental food is to civilization.” Senku began as the villagers made their way towards where your group was. “I’m going to colonize this village with the scientific food that is ramen.”

“You look like the villain.” Kohaku sweat-dropped at the gleeful expression filled with maliciousness on the scientist’s face while you just giggled, used to it by now. 

As a crowd began to gather in front of the cart, Senku turned to you with his signature smirk – the corners of his lips quirked with confidence. “It’s time to win these villagers over to the Kingdom of Science, my assistant.”

(E/C) eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospect of being able to cook for so many people, something you have always dreamed of. You returned your green-haired friend’s grin with one of your own, stretched so wide that it reached the corners of your eyes. 

“You can count on me, Senku!” You exclaimed and got to work. 

Soon, a bunch of villagers was gathered around the cart and watched with eagerness as you prepared the noodles, the delicious aroma of the broth invading their noses, and making their mouths watered. 

Meanwhile, a certain scientist was watching as you worked, his red eyes softening with fondness and pride at the sight of the big smile painting your lips. In a rare moment, he allowed the corners of his lips to curl into the barest hint of a gentle smile. 

For once, he gave in to sentimentality and thought to himself, you were truly the best assistant that any scientist could ask for but deeper than that, he was glad that you stuck around the weird and nerdy science kid when no else would. 

_‘With the gourmet dish of science…’_ You thought to yourself as you placed the last bowl of ramen besides the rest that you had prepared, raising a hand to wipe away the sweat dripping down the side of your face. _‘We can find enough manpower to make steel.’_

As a grin slowly crept its way up to your lips, you turned to the crowd of anticipated villagers with a bowl of ramen ready to serve its guests and exclaimed in a loud voice, “One foxtail millet ramen!”

“It’s so chewy! This is amazing!” Garen cried around a mouthful of ramen and practically inhaled the noodles, wanting more of this delicious dish. 

Spurred on by the glutton of their village, the rest of the villagers began to dig into their bowls of ramen, and soon, just like everyone else who already had a taste of this dish, they couldn’t stop eating as the aroma of ramen danced on their taste buds and introduced them to a whole new world of food that they never knew before. 

“Are you the one who made this tasty stuff? Your name’s Senku-kun? What kind of girls do you like?”

Upon hearing that, your head whipped in the direction of the lilting voice which belonged to a dark-haired girl that had struck up a conversation with the scientist who had come to assist you. 

Your mouth tugged down into a frown at the clear interest on her face, a light blush dusting the apples of her cheeks as she waited for the green-haired teen’s reply. Meanwhile, Senku paid no mind to the girl and responded without so much as sparing her a glance. “A girl who can pump a tone of oxygen into the furnace.” 

Releasing a sigh of relief that you didn’t realize you had been holding in, you turned your attention back to preparing more bowls of ramen while thanking the lucky stars that the scientist was a person of logic and not feelings. 

Although, you couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not as you refilled a villager’s bowl with more ramen broth. 

“He’s way too blunt,” Kohaku, on the other hand, disapproved of the green-haired teen’s straightforwardness and narrowed her eyes at the male as she asked, “You never make small tall or anything, do you, Senku?”

You shook your head in exasperated fondness when Senku shrugged in response to the blonde’s scolding, not caring at all as he focused on what he was doing. 

“Here you go!” 

You raised your head at the sound of Suika’s voice and was greeted with the sight of the young girl running about as she served bowl after bowl of ramen to the villager, unable to catch a break. “I’m losing track of who I’ve served!”

You giggled at how adorable she was but shifted your gaze to Kohaku when she said, “The response is amazing. Everyone’s coming over.”

At the satisfied smile on the blonde’s face, as she watched her village enjoy their ramen, both you and Senku exchanged high fives with each other at the success of Operation Ramen (you just thought of that name on the spot). 

“No problem,” Senku chuckled before a dark look falling over his face, red orbs glimmered with malicious glee. “I’ll just work them to death in proportion to however much they ate.”

“You really do make sketchy faces.” Kohaku sweat-dropped at the scientist’s dark expression while you turned your focus back to the cart when a villager called out for another bowl of ramen. “Coming up!”

The next few minutes were spent preparing and serving more ramen as the villagers couldn’t get enough of it when the peaceful routine was disturbed by an unfamiliar voice. 

“Ah, this is making me thirsty for a drink. Like, say, cola.” 

Both you and Senku paused in what you were doing upon hearing that, a certain word in the sentence having caught both your attention. 

“Cola?” You muttered beneath your breath in slight confusion, your eyes widening as realization dawned upon you. 

Senku, on the other hand, said nothing as he remained motionless, the corners of his lips turning downwards into a deep frown with each passing second. 

“Senku, (Name), is he with you?” Kohaku questioned as she stared at the newcomer, with bi-colored hair – black and white split evenly down the middle – and wearing a purple robe, who was leaning against a large boulder while enjoying a bowl of ramen. 

“No,” The scientist replied in a quiet voice as he placed his chopsticks down and without needing to be told, the blonde sprung into action. 

“Kinro, Ginro, stop squabbling for a moment,” Kohaku called out to the two brothers who were still arguing over ramen as she approached them. 

“What? What are—” Kinro answered and turned to look at the blonde but stopped mid-sentence and was on red alert, Ginro doing the same, when he noticed how her head was hanging down and immediately knew that something was not right. 

“I’ll get to the point,” Kohaku began as she raised her head, blue eyes glinting for a fight. “Enemies.”

In the blink of an eye, they surrounded the stranger with the sharp ends of their weapons aimed at his head as they cornered him, cutting off all possible escape routes. 

“Answer truthfully, or I’ll slit your throat here and now,” Kohaku growled, the tone of her voice suggesting that she wouldn’t hesitate to carry out her threat if the guy didn’t listen to her words. “Are you one of the long-haired man’s underlings?”

Under normal circumstances, any person would be scared to death in this type of situation, especially when weapons were being pointed at them. However, the stranger didn’t even react at all, painting the picture of calmness as a corner of his lips pulled up into a smirk. 

“Hey, I wouldn’t mind being taken out by a cute girl like you, but I think you have me confused for someone else. I don’t know anything about a long-haired man.” The figure started in a teasing voice before releasing a small sigh and lifting his head to meet Senku in the eyes, finally revealing his face. “I’ve been by myself ever since I’m un-petrified.”

“I thought I’d seen your face somewhere,” Senku responded with a small smirk, his arms folded casually. 

“You’re Asagiri Gen!” You chimed in, eyes lighting up with recognition. 

“Are you acquainted?” Kohaku asked as she glanced over her shoulders at the two of you with a slight tilt of her head, her posture still tensed with alert. 

“No, not one bit. He’s a magician who used to write trashy psychology books.” Senku explained offhandedly. 

Gen raised a brow, his mouth curling up into a tight smile as he responded, “You’ve read my work? I’m so happy. Calling it ‘trashy’ hurts though. Call me a mentalist.” 

Then, he turned his attention to the bowl of ramen in his hand and said, “Look, I’ll apologize for taking the ramen, so would you please lower your weapons? I’m so scared, my arms and legs are trembling. I might spill this delicious ramen.”

“I-I’ll hold on to it for you!” Ginro was quick to fall for the mentalist’s words as he threw his spear to the side and reached for the bowl with grabby hands, drooling at the thought of being able to have a taste for himself. 

_‘He’s full of crap.’_ You couldn’t help but think to yourself as you saw right through Gen’s words, noting how his words were meant to convey how afraid he was yet his posture was the epitome of calmness. 

The teen continued on with his charade, playing the sympathy card as he went on with his story. “I was out looking for food by myself when, surprise, the nostalgic scent of ramen hit me, and I wandered over.”

 _‘This man isn’t the least bit terrified.’_ Your frown deepened when you noticed how relaxed said person was despite being surrounded by weapons whose owners wouldn’t hesitate to strike at a moment’s notice. _‘And the words he weaves with his mouth carry as little weight as a feather.’_

You were startled out of your thoughts when Senku let out a chuckle next to you, saying, “Sure, whatever. I’ll take your word for it.”

“Senku?” You muttered, furrowing your brows in confusion at his words as you tried to figure out where he was going with this. 

There was a cunning look in those gleaming ruby reds as Senku unfolded his arms and placed them on his hips, a smirk on his lips. “Either way, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Everyone who’s had ramen has work to do.”

You felt a chill going down your spine at your friend’s challenging look directed at Gen who returned the stare with an unwavering gaze, a brow raised in question. You could sense that the routine as you knew it was going to change now that one Asagiri Gen had entered the picture. 

**Time skipped**

The air was filled with screams of pain as Senku kept to his words and had all those who ate ramen, including Gen, be put to work in taking turns to pump oxygen into the furnace to maintain the temperature needed to turn iron sand into iron. 

“We upgraded the blowing function!” Chrome exclaimed with clenched fists. “Iron mill furnace, level two!”

“I think this’ll work if we take turns!” Kohaku added as she took over another villager who immediately fell onto the ground out of exhaustion having been worked to the bones. 

You winced as she landed with a “thud” and just laid there, unmoving, and you felt bad for her, knowing exactly what it was like since you were in the same shoes just a few hours ago. At the thought of your near death, you shuddered at having to go through their hellish experience again but at least now that with more people, it wouldn’t be as bad or so you tell yourself. 

“Asagiri Gen,” Your gaze shifted over to said person when you heard Senku calling his name, tilting your head to one side as you wondered what the scientist could possibly want from the other male. “How are Taiju and Yuzuriha doing?”

You perked up with interest upon hearing the names of your other friends and walked over to the duo out of curiosity. 

Gen let out a pitiful whimper before replying, “Oh, I see. You thought you could get me to fess up while I’m busting my ass. You have guts, pulling tricks like that on a mentalist.”

There was a moment of silence as Gen stopped his pumping while Senku stared at his back with a small frown, his face lacking his usual cocky expression. You, on the other hand, remained silent as your gaze jumped back and forth between the two, a feeling of uneasiness rising in you. 

Then, Gen continued. “Don’t worry, though. Taiju-chan’s got an especially bottomless supply of strength. You know, don’t you, Senku-chan?”

At his last sentence, Gen finally revealed his true self as he turned to Senku with a spine-chilling grin on his face, light blue eyes darkening with a manic glint. At that moment, you felt your entire freezing up, unable to move a single muscle as the familiar feeling of fear that you had felt when in Tsukasa’s presence returned, your flight instincts screaming for you to run, to run as far as you could until you felt safe again. 

Feeling the need to seek comfort, you shuffled closer until you were hidden behind the scientist’s frame. Senku, who noticed your discomfort when he felt your stiff body pressing up against his, sought your hand out and intertwined both your fingers, running his thumb soothingly over the back of your hand in a silent act of comfort. 

A fond smile tugged at the corners of your lips at the gesture and you squeezed the teen’s hand to show your gratefulness. 

“He’s definitely with the long-haired man.” Kohaku, who overheard what the mentalist said, ran over with one of her daggers and asked, “Should I kill him?”

“Hold it, idiot,” Senku replied before shifting his attention to Gen with a small smirk. “Asagiri Gen. You ten billion percent knew I was trying to make you talk. Why did you suddenly decide to admit that you’re with Tsukasa?”

Gen didn’t reply straight away with his back facing the green-haired scientist. Then, he turned around; light blue eyes glancing at you for a second which you felt, causing your body to stiffen with tenseness. 

Although, you relaxed again when Senku tightened his arms around you, noticing your discomfort and you were thankful that he was still holding onto you despite having calmed down. 

The burning stare left just as quickly as it had appeared, and you released a small sigh of relief. The frightening grin from before was replaced with one of mystery as the mentalist said, “The tides have turned now that I’ve seen this.”

Gen didn’t say anything more after that and everyone returned to the original task at hand, but there was tension in the air that lasted throughout the rest of the evening and into the following morning. 

* * *

Thanks to the extra helping hands and working non-stopped throughout the whole night, the iron sands were finally melted and all eyes were trained on the scientist as he removed the pot filled with hot liquid and poured it into a wood mold for it to set. 

You heard a sharp inhale coming from your right and your head turned towards the noise, noticing the look of surprised awe on Gen’s face. At that moment, you thought back to this morning where, away from prying eyes and ears, the mentalist had revealed to both you and Senku that he was actually sent here by Tsukasa. 

_“My job is to confirm that both of you are dead. ‘Tsukasa, Senku and (Name) are alive.’ With that, you would be done. That was the plan. But if you complete your iron weapons, there’s no telling who will win.”_

With what happened yesterday, you became wary of Asagiri Gen and now, after learning about his real motive for being here, it was just one more reason to never trust the guy. However, as you watched those light blue eyes widened, things might just change. 

“Finally!” Chrome let out a loud cry as he held up the iron bar in the air, both Suika and Kohaku mirroring the brunette’s looks of wonder. “Here we go!”

You felt your lips curling into a warm smile upon seeing the enthusiasm on your friends’ faces when Gen spoke up, drawing your attention to him again along with Senku. 

“'I only found a primitive settlement. Senku and (Name) are dead.’ That simple false report would spare you.”

You clenched your fists at the teen’s words but said nothing while Senku simply let out a chuckle. “I’d really appreciate it if you would do that.”

“I don’t have any policy at all. I’m the world’s most shallow man. If I can live happily with cute chicks, that’s all I need. Whether you die or Tsukasa dies doesn’t matter to me.” Gen paused, then the corners of his lips curled into a menacing grin. “I’m going to win, no matter who I have to dispose of. I can’t decide if it’ll be better for me if I let the Kingdom of Science or the Tsukasa Empire win. That’s all I have any interest in.”

You frowned at the mentalist’s words, not understanding where he was trying to go with this as he continued to explain himself. 

“On this side, there’s plenty of sweet science stuff and ramen and all that, but the work is hellish. Meanwhile, Tsukasa-chan’s empire has no science, and the meals are simple, but the work’s easy. And if I revive idols and stuff, I’ll be living the dream harem life.”

“What’s a harem?” A tiny voice piped up from out of nowhere and you glanced down to where Suika had approached the three of you, her watermelon head tilted to the side in curiosity. 

Gen looked down at the young girl with a small smile as he answered. “Sorry, children don’t need to know yet.”

“I think ramen’s better for sure.” Suika exclaimed. 

“Hmm,” The bi-colored-haired teen hummed, scratching his cheek as he considered the girl’s words. “Ramen’s nice, but not on hot days like this. At the end of the day, I’d side with Tsukasa-chan.”

“If you’re going to side Tsukasa like you are originally, then why do you spout so much nonsense about harem and shit?” You furrowed your brows in confusion, not understanding this guy one bit at all. 

The scientist let out a quiet snort beneath his breath when he heard what you said and at that moment, Kohaku spoke up while walking over. 

“Asagiri Gen, was it?” She came to a stop in front of said male, her face devoid of emotions when out of a sudden, she whipped out both her daggers and let out a low growl in a threatening voice. “Superficial, selfish men like you are best dead or imprisoned.”

“So scary!” Gen cried, holding both hands up in defense as sweat formed on his forehead at the blonde’s intimidating grin aimed at him. 

Senku, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up. “No, if we don’t let him go back, Tsukasa will come here himself and we’ll be screwed.”

All heads turned towards the green-haired scientist as he removed his protective gear and faced the group with his trademark smirk filled with confidence. “Relax. Once you see what we make with our beautiful new iron, you’ll ten billion percent want to join the Kingdom of Science.”

“Oh? What’s that?” Gen replied in a sarcastic tone with crossed arms as Senku began to climb up the ladders leading to the science shed, only to pause in his tracks at the mentalist’s next few words. “Are you making swords or something?”

Glancing over his shoulders, the scientist replied with a knowing grin. “A generator.”

There was a moment of silence before Gen choked out in surprise at the unexpected answer and let out a disbelief cry. “A generator?! Are you for real?! That’s totally not happening!”

“Hey, you have native copper,” Senku said. 

Meanwhile, there was a furrow between your brows as you mumbled to yourself. “A generator? What could Senku want with a generator? To make electricity but there’s no lightbulb or output source to channel the energy to.”

Gen whipped his head and stared at you with wide, incredulous eyes as he pointed a finger towards the scientist in question and asked, “Why do you look so calm?! Is he really going to make one?!”

You turned to the mentalist with a blank expression on your before shrugging in reply. “It’s Senku, you’ll get used to it.”

The bi-colored-haired teen’s mouth fell open at your words and you grinned, patting him on the shoulders in support out of sympathy before heading towards the science shed where Senku was already joined by Chrome. 

“It’s pretty. I don’t want to break it.” You heard the brunette just as you entered the shed and peered at said object over Senku’s shoulders from where you were standing behind him, having to tiptoe to see. 

“What are you going to do with the native copper?” You questioned your green-haired teen, curious to know what he had in mind. 

“We’ll melt it down to make copper wire,” Senku responded, a contemplative look on his face as he stared at the object in his hand. 

“He’s not even listening. Damn.” Chrome let out an exasperated sigh but did nothing considering he was used to the scientist doing whatever he pleased. 

Finding the situation amusing, you couldn’t help but let out giggled. “Well, that’s Senku for you.”

“Now, if only we’d get some lightning…” Senku continued, not listening to a single that either of you just said. 

Just as those words left his mouth, a loud rumble could be heard from outside. All three of you rushed out of the science shed and were greeted with an overcast sky filled with dark clouds. 

“Huh, will you look at that.” You commented, glancing up towards the sky with a hand over your eyes and let out an impressed whistle at the size of the lightning. “Talk about coincidences.”

Senku, on the other hand, was sputtering gasps of disbelief as he stood there with his jaw wide open while lightning continued to flash overhead. 

“We actually got lightning.” Suika chimed in, her head tilted upwards to the sky as well while Kohaku let out a small scoff, saying, “Well, it is thunderstorm season.”

“We’re way too lucky!” Chrome grinned. 

“No, idiot!” Senku was quick to disagree. “This is the worst-case scenario! We aren’t prepared at all!” 

“What?!” You cried, (e/c) eyes widened upon seeing the urgent look on your friend’s face. “Then, what do we do now?!”

Gen was the only calm one as he stared at Senku with a raised brow, asking, “You aren’t making a lightning generator, are you?”

“There’s no such thing,” Senku replied absentmindedly as his mind worked to think of a solution. 

“Of course,” The mentalist let out a wry sigh. 

A few seconds passed before Senku raised his head and said, “Magnets. I can make a generator if I have magnets.”

“We have some of the iron sand that we got.” Suika chimed in as she walked over to the green-haired male and held up the magnetic rock used to collect iron sands from the river.

“The natural stuff isn’t anywhere near strong enough.” Senku glanced down at the young girl with a small frown and took the rock from her. “We’re going to catch the lightning with an iron rod and make a high-power magnet with the power of science.”

“Of course!” You exclaimed as realization dawned upon you. “I remember now. Soil, rocks, and any metal materials become magnetized when struck by lightning. Right, Senku?”

The corners of his lips lifted into a smirk as the green-haired scientist nodded his head, saying, “Good job, you got that right. As expected of my assistant.”

You preened at the teen’s praise; your cheeks dusted a light pink. 

“I was going to put up a stupid number of lightning rods, but we can’t pass up this opportunity.” Senku glanced at the rock in his hands, unsure of whether his new plan would work or not but that isn’t going to stop him from trying either way. “We’re going to set up immediately.”

Just then, lightning flashed, and he turned his head towards the sky, smirking. “We’re moving lightning fast.”

“Literally!” You added, giggling at your pun. 

With that, everyone got to work without another moment to waste for it was a race against the clock to get everything set up before the storm passed. 

“Melt the copper.” 

Grabbing a stone ax, Chrome made a hole at the bottom of the furnace where the melted copper was removed by Senku. While that was happening, the scientist turned to the group and said in an urgent voice. “Kohaku’s shield is coated with lacquer. It’s somewhere in the village!”

Suika swung into action and within a few seconds, she returned from the village with a small jar in her hand. “I bought the lacquer!”

“Lacquer is a crazy good insulator.” Senku explained and turned to you, saying, “(Name), I need you to coat the iron rod with it.”

You nodded your head and did as told, making sure that said object was coated evenly in lacquer. 

“What are you doing?” Gen muttered to himself in confusion, his eyes trained on you as you continued to coat the iron rod in lacquer. 

“Wh-What are you doing with the bridge planks?” A startled Ginro asked as Senku removed the first plank of the main bridge. 

Using one of her daggers, Kohaku started to carve a channel into the same wooden plank. “I carved a channel in the plank.”

“Pour the copper into the channel,” Senku muttered, being careful while doing just that. “Wrap the solidified copper around the iron.” 

You handed the iron rod covered in lacquer over to the male who was gritting his teeth as he struggled to tighten the copper around said bar. 

A shocked gasp escaped Kohaku’s lips when she noticed three figures making their way towards the group. 

“Shoot, it’s Magma!” Chrome cursed at the sight of the tall, muscular blonde. 

“He’s not one to listen to reason,” Kohaku added and unsheathed her daggers for the oncoming fight. “We’re going to have to fight them!”

“We’re screwed if we go to war against the village right now,” Senku growled in frustration. “Damn it, what can we do?”

You bit your lips in worry as you wrecked your brain, trying to think of something, anything that might help to avoid the inevitable fight when suddenly, an idea occurred to you. Turning to Gen with mischief glinting in your eyes, you said “You know, it’ll be so sad if all of us die today before we’re able to even live our dreams. For example, having a harem of beautiful girls.”

Gen stared at the knowing grin on your face for a good minute before letting out a small, defeated sigh. “I guess I don’t have a choice. I’d rather not get killed in the fray.”

Everyone’s gazes jumped back and forth between the two of you, puzzled by what just happened and at Senku’s questioning look, you blinked innocently at him to which he returned with an unimpressed smile. 

The mentalist glanced down at Suika and asked, “Can I have a bouquet of flowers, Suika-chan?”

Upon seeing the confused expression directed at him, Gen simply replied with a menacing smirk. “Flowers over war.”

**Time skipped**

Everyone watched with bated breaths and curious eyes, wondering what the mentalist was doing to do with those flowers as he walked up towards the trio and met them halfway on the bridge. 

“Why the hell is this sly guy holding flowers?” One of the lackeys asked in a demanding voice. 

“Yeah!” The shorter one added. 

“Were you the one who summoned the anger of the heavens?” Magma, the leader of the trio, asked before letting out an amused chuckle. “You have balls, coming to me to get yourself killed.”

Gen continued to stand there with the flowers in his hands, not saying anything as lightning flashed, thunder rumbled overhead, and the rain fell harder. 

A second or two passed before he finally replied in a lilting voice. “Oh, no, no. It’s the other way around. We’re here to stop the lightning with our sorcery.”

“Quit talking out of your ass.” Magma growled when Gen interrupted him. 

“Like this.” 

In an instance, the flowers in the bi-colored-haired teen’s hands disappeared right before the trio’s eyes, earning gasps of awe from them. 

“It actually disappeared right before our eyes!” A startled Magma exclaimed while the two’s mouths were hanging wide open in shock. 

“That’s enough to keep it out of Magma’s sight?” Kohaku questioned, unsure if she was impressed or just confused by what just happened. 

“Yep!” You laughed at the baffled look on her face before explaining the secret behind the trick. “It’s a trick called the back palm or something. Magicians do it with cards and stuff.”

From beside you, Senku let out an amused chuckle. “Not bad, you fraud magician.”

Then he turned to you, soft red eyes gleaming with fond pride. “And you’re not bad yourself, (Name). Who knew you were capable of pulling something like this?”

“Well, believe it or not, you can learn a thing or two from those ‘trashy’ books of his as you like to call it, Senku.” You winked at the scientist, the edges of your lips curling into a playful smirk. 

And with that, the war has been avoided all thanks to the mentalist, Asagiri Gen who was smirking at his victory as he watched Magma’s and his lackeys’ retreating backs. 

**Time skipped**

“It’s not impossible at all. An old guy named Wasilewski at NASA has already succeeded in an experiment to make magnets using lightning.” Senku explained upon arrival at the foot of the mountain which he began to climb, followed by everyone else. 

Once at the top, Senku paused to catch his breath before turning to Chrome with a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. “Chrome, this is the fruit of your ten years of explanation.”

“That’s right. Are you amazed or what?” The brunette replied, the size of his grin matching the green-haired teen. “We’re here, at the bald mountain.” 

“It’s the perfect spot for lightning. There’s no better place.” Senku exclaimed as lightning flashed overhead and thunder crashed. 

It was time to make the generator. 

* * *

“Set up the lightning rod, quick!” The scientist instructed, yelling to be heard over the loud thunder. 

Senku and Chrome flinched as the lightning drew nearer to where they were standing. Lifting his head to the sky, the former speaking through gritted teeth. “The lightning’s closing in.”

“Crap, we don’t have time to build a proper tower.” Chrome added. “But, damn it, we need to make it as tall as we can.”

You bit your lips in worry as you glanced up at the sky, noticing the close distance between the top of the mountain and the bolts of lightning were. “What do we do now? We’ve come so close that if we’re to give up now, our hard work and effort will go to waste.”

“If only there were something long we could shove into the ground…” Kohaku clicked her tongue in frustration and glanced around, trying to look for something that could work when suddenly, something caught her attention. 

All eyes followed her gaze and at the bottom of the mountain, they noticed two familiar figures hiding in the bushes. 

Your eyes landed on Kinro’s gold spear and a big smile broke on your face as you said, “We can use Kinro’s spear!”

“N-No!” The owner of said spear shook his head, hugging his precious spear closer to him. “Anything but my spear!”

“So, you _do_ like it.” Ginro glared accusingly at his brother. 

In the blink of an eye, Kohaku was in front of Kinro who let out a loud cry when the blonde kicked his spear out of his hands before leaping into the air. Using her hair string, she tied the iron bar to the end of the wooden end of the spear before piercing the sharp end into the ground. 

Thanks to her quick reflexes, the blonde managed to propel herself away from the makeshift lightning rod just as it was struck by lightning. 

“My spear!” Kinro cried, tears gushing out of his eyes like a waterfall. 

(E/C) eyes widened in awe at the beautiful sight as remnants of lightning traces cackled around the burnt spear. You could hear the breathless exhilaration in Senku’s voice as he grinned, “And so the god of lightning descends.”

“We did it!” You cried, clapping your hands in glee. 

“What’s up with you, Senku-chan?” Gen chuckled nervously next to the scientist; light blue eyes wide with disbelief. “There’s nothing to work with in this stone-age world. Are you seriously going to…”

The bi-colored-haired teen trailed off as Senku walked past him and towards where the spear was. Dark clouds parted and a beam of sunlight shone down on him just as he wrapped one hand around the iron rod. 

“Electricity, born with a bang.” The green-haired teen began, red eyes burning like wildfires as he held up the iron rod, now turned magnet, in front of him. “This is exhilarating.”

“Yeah!” Chrome cheered as he threw his hands into the air, his lips stretched into a wide grin. “We got a magnet for the generator!” 

“Jeez, the golden spear’s in pieces,” Ginro commented with a smug grin on his face as he watched his brother walk over to his burnt spear, his face drained of life as he stared at a broken piece that he had picked up. 

“Sorry, but you’ll have to forgive me, Kinro.” Kohaku, the one who was responsible for the demise of the brunette’s precious spear, apologized although she didn’t seem sorry at all. “It was an emergency.”

“I’m sure Senku will make you another one.” Suika assured him even though it was more out of pity rather than trying to comfort the teen at all. 

Meanwhile, Ginro was over the moon as the tables had turned and he was no longer on the short end of the stick. 

“Hey, where’d your spear go?” The blonde taunted, holding one hand over his eyes and pretending to look around for said spear. “It’s gone, eh? The golden spear that you had made for you and never let me borrow. Huh?”

Fed up with his younger brother’s gibes, Kinro delivered three blows to said person’s head before marching off in anger while the blonde remained face down on the ground and motionless. 

You sweat-dropped at the sight but even you had to agree that Ginro was just asking for it. 

“Senku, we may have failed to make magnets.” Kohaku’s cry of disbelief startled both you and Senku as the two of you turned your heads towards the blonde, a brief look of panic crossing your faces at the possibility of a failed experiment until you saw what was happening. 

“They won’t go near each other, let alone stick!” The clueless blonde exclaimed as she tried to connect the two iron bars together, pushing with all her strength yet the bars refused to stick like how magnets were supposed to. “They’re being repelled by some mysterious force.”

“You have the poles backwards.” Senku deadpanned while you simply giggled, finding the girl’s ignorance adorable. 

With a sigh, the green-haired teen grabbed one of the bars and flipped it to the correct side, only to be then lifted into the air by the strength of the magnets alone once they were connected, earning startled looks from everyone. 

“They’re so strong!” Suika exclaimed. 

Chrome’s cheeks were dusted pink with excitement as he asked, “Now we can make that crazy ‘electricity’ thing, right?”

“Yup,” You answered as you tried to pull Senku, who was still holding onto one of the magnets, free but gave up when you ran out of energy. “Damn, that is really some crazy powerful magnets.”

“But Senku-chan, are you making a thermal generator?” Gen, who had been quiet all this while, finally spoke up. “Wind turbines? Don’t tell me you’re making a nuclear reactor.” 

Turning to the mentalist, Senku simply said. “Muscle-powered generator.”

“Of course. I should have known.” Gen replied, sweat-dropping at the scientist’s blunt answer. 

Meanwhile, you let out an internal groan at the idea of having to experience more rounds of hellish work. 

**Time skipped**

After another nightmare round of air pumping thanks to the villagers who were left for dead and lying on the ground, the melted copper was ready to be poured into a new mold where once set, it would become a large, circular metal. 

“Whack the hell out of the copper sheet and file it down into a disk,” Senku instructed, his voice sounding funny due to his swollen lips and cheeks as a reaction to the lacquer coated on the iron bar earlier on. 

Once the metal was cool to touch, Chrome got to work and began to hammer the copper sheet until it was flat enough to the scientist’s satisfaction. Then, with a large compass made from two short bamboo shoots with one end of the first piece which was hammered into the center of the metal sheet connected to another end of the second piece by a long string, Senku started to make a circle outline. 

“Check it out!” Chrome while holding up a white-colored rock. “I’m going to file it down with corundum, that tough rock I showed before!”

“The second-strongest mineral after diamond.” Senku nodded his head in approval, though he looked like a bobble-head doll when he did that thanks to his puffy cheeks. “I like your collection, Chrome!”

While Kohaku and Suika were working on the filing, you were helping Senku with coating the copper wire in lacquer as you didn’t want the green-haired teen to come in contact with any more of that since he was allergic to it. 

So, Senku just observed from the side. “I thought of coating the copper wire with phosphoric acid, but lathering it in lacquer works, too.”

“So, Senku-chan…” Gen let out a nervous chuckle as he stared at the scientist’s bloated face, sweat-dropping at the size of it. “I’ve been wondering when I should bring this up…”

“What?” Said person lifted his head, revealing even puffier cheeks as tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. 

“Why have you turned into Anpanman?” The mentalist asked and Senku simply answered. “Lacquer rash.”

The sky was a beautiful shade of purple, pink and orange when the generator was finally completed. 

“All right!” Both you and Chrome said in unison, exchanging high-fives. 

“It’s the Kingdom of Science’s special…” Senku began, his face back to normal now. “dual-wield hand-crank generator.”

“We have to spin the two disks at the same time?” Kohaku asked. “That’ll be pretty hard.”

Suika, ever the optimist, chimed in with both arms in the air. “We just need two people to do it together.”

“We’ll have to spin it in perfect timing, or it’ll crumble to bits.” Chrome commented. 

“If only there were two people who worked in perfect sync and had a lot of energy…” You trailed off with a small frown, trying to think of a pair who fit the descriptions. 

There was a moment of silence as the group wrecked their brains when suddenly, everyone came to a collective realization. 

“You lot again.” Kinro greeted the six of you gathered in front of the main bridge with suspicious eyes. “What do you want this time?”

Chrome was the one to respond, grinning as he said, “I’ll show you our badass science machine! Come with us!”

“Why would I go?” Kinro demanded, his harsh response causing the brunette to fall onto his hands and knees as disappointment hung over him. 

“You’re stubborn as ever,” Kohaku commented with a small frown and crossed arms. “What are you not satisfied with?”

You nodded your head in agreement as Senku let out an amused chuckle, saying, “He’s obviously upset about his golden spear getting wrecked.”

Then, out of nowhere, Gen walked towards the brothers, causing all eyes to follow after him. Ignoring the questioning looks that the group was directed at him, he opened his mouth to sing praises about the wonders of electricity in a loud voice. 

“Man, electricity is so amazing. In technological civilization, our world of sorcery, all sorts of contraptions work on electricity.”

Kinro let out a scoff, not wanting to stay another minute to hear about the science and its sorcery and turned to walk away when Gen’s next few words caught his attention. 

“With electricity, we might even be able to make and repair gold and silver spears. Right, Senku-chan?”

Said person sidled up to the mentalist’s side and whispered into his ear, “Electrocoating isn’t that easy. Do you even know the recipe?”

“I don’t know a single thing,” Gen confessed with a goofy smile painting his lips. 

“Asagiri Gen…Your words really are as flimsy as a feather.” Kohaku sighed in disapproval. 

“Well, that may be true, but it looks like everything works out just fine.” You glanced over to the duo in question and sure enough, both Kinro and Ginro fell for the mentalist’s words hook, line, and sinker – their eyes sparkling at the thought of getting a special spear made in their names. 

**Time skipped**

Stars blanketed the night sky where inky black faded into orangey purple as the last remnants of today’s evening slowly faced into the background. Overall, it was another tranquil night until it was disturbed by screams of pain filling the air coming from our favorite brothers as they spun the copper disks in perfect sync with all their might, huffing and puffing from the exertion. 

“You can count on the brothers to be perfectly in sync with each other.” Kohaku smiled as she watched said brothers in action. 

Chuckling, Senku replied in satisfaction. “Now that we have Kinro and Ginro, the Kingdom of Science is really starting to shape up.” 

You let out a sigh of relief at that. “Well, thank goodness for that.”

Gen, on the other hand, had a look of disbelief as he asked, “Are they really making electricity?”

To answer the bi-colored-haired teen’s question, Senku held up a single leaf that held a small piece of bamboo string in the shape of a zigzag. “This is a steam-roasted bamboo string.”

At that moment, no one noticed the widening of light blue eyes as Gen stared at the innocent piece of bamboo string in slight recognition. 

* * *

“Do you need it to be a high spot?” Kohaku questioned as she, along with everyone else, glanced up at the scientist who was currently situated at the top of the science shed with Chrome. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Senku replied with a small chuckle. “But, hey, we might as well.”

“Senku, please be careful. You too, Chrome.” You wrung your hands with nervousness over your friends being so high up with no protective gear whatsoever. 

“We’ll be fine, (Name)!” The brunette assured you with a large grin on his face before turning to help Senku with whatever he was planning to do. 

At that moment, realization dawned upon Gen. “I see. It’s an Edison light bulb made using Japanese bamboo.”

“Edison light bulb?” Suika asked, glancing up at the mentalist with a curious tilt of her watermelon-covered head. 

(E/C) eyes widened in surprise as you stared at the bi-colored-haired teen before shifting your gaze back to Senku and you finally understood why the scientist wanted to make a generator in the first place. 

Meanwhile, up on the roof of the wooden shed, Senku asked Chrome a question out of nowhere. “Chrome, are you afraid of the night?”

The brunette stared at the green-haired teen for a moment before replying, “Yeah, it is dark, after all. Why do you ask?”

“There’s no darkness in my age,” Senku replied by way of an answer, red eyes focusing on the stone-aged version of the Edison light bulb he had made and began to explain. “Old Edison erased night from the world with his incandescent light bulb. He conquered the twenty-four-hour day. With science, humanity defeated the night. This is going to light the darkness of the night for the first time in 3,700 years. It’s the flame of science.” 

Then, he connected copper wires to both ends of the bamboo string where it began to heat up and eventually, creating a bright glow that lit up the entire area. 

“Senku, you’re amazing, do you know that?” You whispered to yourself as you stared at the beautiful sight with glittering eyes before glancing over at the scientist whose brilliance shines even brighter than any light you had ever seen in your entire life and you loved him for it. 


	11. A Flimsy Alliance

**Chapter 10 – A Flimsy Alliance**

The bright light lasted for a few more seconds before it completely burned out and the surrounding area was plunged into darkness once more, the twinkling stars in the night sky being the only source of light 

You glanced up towards where Senku sat alone on the roof of the science shed, Chrome having disappeared into said wooden shed. Deciding that your green-haired friend could use the company, you made your way up the ladder and settled next to the teen. 

Sensing your presence, the scientist turned to face you and raised a brow in question. “What are you doing up here?”

The corners of your lips were curled into a playful grin as you spread your arms wide open and replied, “You look so lonely, sitting up here all by yourself. So, here I am!”

Giggles fell from your lips when Senku responded with a deadpan stare, looking very unimpressed. Although, the small, upwards of his lips, which went unnoticed by you, told a different story. 

The peaceful quiet from before returned as the two of you sat in comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s company. A fond smile painted your lips as you watched Kohaku laugh at something that Suika said, her blonde hair glowing in the firelight. 

A small, contented sigh left your lips which drew Senku’s attention and when you saw the questioning look on his face, you explained yourself. “I was thinking about how if we hadn’t met Kohaku back in the forest on that fateful day, we won’t have met Chrome or Suika or, as a matter of fact, the village and be where we are today.”

For a heartbeat or two, the green-haired scientist remained silent as he turned his attention back to said group of people with a contemplative look before saying, “I was born buck-naked and alone on this primitive earth. A year and four months later, I’ve finally made it.”

Your heart ached at his words, thinking how lonely he must have felt during the first three months when you were still locked away in your stone prison. 

Glancing down at the copper wires in his hand, Senku went on. “To the essential power of science…To electricity.” His fingers curled tightly around them as he lifted his gaze to meet yours and for the first time ever since you had known the teen, his lips were stretched into the widest grin of victory; the corners of his eyes crinkling with unbridled joy. “This is it. I’m off to a good start.”

(E/C) eyes widened in awe, your breath stolen by the beauty of the scientist’s rare smile; your heart thundered and the fluttering of a thousand butterflies’ wings in your stomach at the sudden love that crashed over your entire being like a tidal wave. 

Seeing this, you were brought back to that fateful day where you fell in love with Senku for the first time when you witnessed the same genuine smile – while not as big as now – painting his lips, just the barest hint of an upwards curl in both corners of his mouth after succeeding in an experiment that had been giving the teen a hard time for many days on end. 

And in this very moment, it felt exactly like then as you fell for Senku all over again for the umpteenth time. 

**Time skipped**

The science shed was doused in a warm light by the few candles littering around the room, their flames casting dancing shadows against the walls as the four of you – Chrome, Kohaku Senku and you – caught Suika up to the current situation at hand. 

“So, you see, Suika, this man called Tsukasa is the one behind Senku’s murder,” Kohaku explained in a firm tone. 

Meanwhile, the person in question rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sheepish chuckle, “Though I’m not dead.”

“He’s seriously bad news,” Chrome added, stressing on the word “seriously” to convey how serious he was being about Tsukasa being the enemy here. “He wanted to stop scientific progress, and he didn’t think twice about killing Senku to do it.” 

“I told you, I’m not dead,” Senku repeated, sweat dropping at how everyone kept emphasizing on his death despite it being short-lived. 

You, on the other hand, had been silent since the start; having not said a single word which the others chalked up to tiredness considering it was past midnight, but a certain green-haired scientist knew better. 

Even without having to ask, he knew what was going through your mind and even if he didn’t, he could see the hint of pain as clear as day written on your face. He could still remember the tight grip on the front of his shirt, fingers digging into his chest as desperate pleas mixed with choked sobs fell from your lips as you prayed fervently for the miracle liquid to work. 

And afterwards, when you were in his arms, he could feel the trembles in your body as you clung to him, an ear pressed against his chest to reassure yourself with the sound of his heartbeat that indicated he was alive and breathing and not gone. 

He felt an ache in his heart at those memories and even though he didn’t quite understand the feelings he was going through, the urge to comfort and assured you that he would never put you through this again was strong. 

And so, listening to his heart instead of his head for once, Senku reached over to your hand and placed his larger palm over your smaller one. Startled, you glanced down at the hand covered by the green-haired teen before looking up to meet red eyes softened with understanding.

You furrowed your brows in confusion and opened your mouth to question your friend when he gave your hand a tight squeeze before hooking his pinkie finger with yours, his gaze remained unwavering. 

Even though no word was said, you understood what the simple action meant – it was a silent promise to never leave you like that ever again. You returned the gesture with a small of acknowledgement, curling your own pinkie around his.

For the next few seconds, both of you remained like this; holding each other’s gazes when it was broken by Suika’s loud outbursts and with that, the mood was broken and the two of you released your hands and focused on the watermelon girl. 

“So that Tsukasa person is a bad man, and Gen is with him? Then Gen’s a bad person.” The young girl cried but then she remembered something and no longer sounded as sure as she was before. “Wait…But Gen saved us from Magma. He’s a good person!”

Torn by her conflicted emotions, she turned to Senku in the hope that he would have an answer. 

“He’s neither a good person nor a bad person,” The scientist chuckled, amused by how everyone was getting worked up over something as trivial as this. 

“He’s just a thoroughly shallow brat of a man,” Kohaku added bluntly. 

Feeling much lighter after being comforted by Senku, you spoke up for the first time since this entire conversation started. 

“It doesn’t matter whether Asagiri Gen is a good guy or a bad guy.” You began, smiling at the confused expressions directed your way. “What’s important is that we need him to be on the side of the Kingdom of Science. Am I right to say that Senku?”

You turned to the scientist and the grin on your face widened when he nodded his head in agreement and expanded on what you said, “We’ll have him make a bogus report to Tsukasa, saying that ‘Senku and (Name) are definitely dead.’ That’s the only way we can win.” 

Hearing that, there was an unreadable look on Chrome’s face as he stared at Senku for a few seconds before getting up from the ground and made his way to the entrance of the shed where he leaned his head out, yelling, “Hear that, Gen? You saw it, didn’t you? The electricity? The insane light of science? Who cares about who wins? Who gives a damn about whether Tsukasa or Senku has the edge? The Kingdom of Science is just way more fun!”

There was a moment of silence where Gen said nothing, his back still facing the brunette before he turned around with a fake grin on his face and replied, “Gosh, you’re so passionate, young man. Too bad, though. I don’t have what you do, Chrome-chan. I’m the most superficial man on earth. All I care about is whether or not something will benefit me.”

And without waiting for a response from Chrome or anyone else in the group, the bi-coloured teen turned on his heels and walked off into the forest, ignoring the glaring daggers coming from Kohaku who, if not for Senku holding her back, would have gone after the infuriating male with one of her daggers.

“Well, that could’ve gone better.” You piped up, blinking your eyes a few times at what just happened. “Although, I can’t say that I’m not surprised by his choice.” 

Senku let out a small sigh and shrugged as though saying “what’s done is done”, saying, “We can’t force him to join our side if he has already made up his mind. The only thing we can do now is to get ourselves and the village ready and prepared in the case that the mentalist does report back to Tsukasa with the truth.”

Everyone frowned at the scientist’s words but said nothing for they knew that he had a point and since there was nothing important to be said or done, they decided to turn in for the night when, all of a sudden, they heard loud noises coming from outside. 

It sounded like someone was being punched and from the sounds of it, whoever was throwing the punches did not seem happy with their target. 

(E/C) orbs widened in alarm as you exchanged eye contact with Senku and much to your chagrin, your worst suspicion was confirmed when you saw the grim look on his face. Without a doubt, you knew the rest was sporting the same expression. 

So, without a moment to waste, all five of you ran out of the science shed and towards the direction of where the loud commotion had originated from. 

“What was that noise?” Kohaku exclaimed, her voice ringing throughout the forest as she ran ahead of the group; her daggers unsheathed and in her hands, in the case, she needed to fight off the attacker. 

Loud gasps of shock filled the air at the sight that greeted all of you upon arrival at the scene. Just like you had presumed – lying on the ground in a pool of blood was none other than Gen, looking for the worst with a face so badly beaten up that you almost couldn’t recognize him and a spear protruding from his chest where he had been stabbed by his assailant. 

“Hey, are you all right, Gen?” Chrome asked in an urgent tone as he knelt next to the motionless figure. 

“It’s no use…” Kohaku said with a frown when there was still no reaction from the bi-coloured teen despite the brunette trying to get a response out of him. “He obviously died instantly.”

“This is terrible!” Suika cried as she stared at the horrifying scene in disbelief. 

“No, hang on,” Senku called out in a hurry, stopping the trio from doing anything rash as the two of you were the last to arrive at the scene. 

Everyone watched as the scientist carefully removed the weapon from the mentalist’s body to reveal a small, packed bag with red liquid spewing from where the tip of the spear had punctured it when Gen had been pierced. 

“Amazing,” You breathed out in awe as you stared at the said bag with wide eyes. “He guarded himself with bags of fake blood.”

“They’re all over him!” Suika exclaimed with relief as she discovered more bags on Gen’s body, hidden beneath his purple robe. 

“This is nuts.” Chrome commented as he held up a bag and admired the bi-coloured teen’s work. “He covered himself with these things, just in case!” 

The corners of his lips stretched into a smirk as Senku let out a disbelief chuckle. “Not bad. You’re a magician through and through.” 

Even you were impressed by Gen’s smart thinking and even though you didn’t trust him yet, you had a newfound respect for the mentalist now. 

* * *

Sleep was forgone that night as everyone focused on looking after Gen who, after being carried back to the science shed to have his wounds taken care of, had finally regained consciousness. 

Although medicinal herbs were placed on his injuries to help with the healing, he was still looking for the worse of wear and you couldn’t help but worried for his health as you watched the teen struggle to breathe through the pain coursing through his body. 

“He may have blocked it with those bags, but he’s severely injured.” You mumbled as you ran a soothing hand down his hair in the hope to provide some comfort even though you knew it wasn’t of much help. 

“Damn it,” Chrome cursed, his brows furrowing in anger. “We have to catch the attacker!”

“But who could have done such a terrible thing?” Kohaku wondered as she gazed down at Gen with a concerned frown. 

Suika, who had been silent throughout the exchange, glanced back and forth between each member of the group; her expression one of trouble for she wanted to be of help but was unsure of what she could do. 

Then, realization dawned upon her and with a shake of her head to get rid of any doubts she might have, she leapt to her feet and ran out of the wooden shed; determined to get to the bottom of this. 

“I’m going to go investigate!” The young girl declared as she jumped out of the science shed, tucked her body into her watermelon mask and proceeded to roll off towards the village to try and gather more information. 

Leaving that to Suika, the rest continued to take care of the mentalist to the best of their abilities. Worry gnawing within them when the teen sucked in another deep breath, a hiss of pain escaping his lips even as he slept. 

**Time skipped**

The next morning with the sun high up in the sky, Suika finally returned with information on Gen’s attacker. 

“Big news!” The watermelon-masked girl called out as she returned to the science shed, her loud voice causing all eyes to turn to her. “I found out who it was!”

“Good job, Suika!” You praised the young girl, giggling as you caught her by the armpits just as she jumped out of her watermelon mask after rolling to a stop in front of you. 

“Good going, Great Detective Suika,” Senku commented, his voice muffled by the toothbrush in his mouth – Suika’s announcement having interrupted his morning routine. 

“I know who’s behind the murder of Asagiri Gen!” Suika exclaimed, her fists clenched with excitement at her discovery. 

“Uh, he’s not dead, you know.” Kohaku deadpanned. 

Chuckling, you placed the young girl onto the ground before patting her head and asked, “So, who was it?”

“It was…” Suika began and started to explain how she had stumbled onto Magma and his sidekick while in the forest and after hearing some interesting choices of words from the blonde, she decided to hide behind some bushes to find out more and see if he was the one who was responsible for beating up Gen. 

**_[Flashback]_ **

_ Boisterous laughter filled the air as Magma exclaimed, his lips curled into a prideful smirk. “Now that I’ve killed the sorcerer, I, Magma-sama, am the most powerful! Fighting sorcery is no more of a challenge than twisting a baby’s arm.” _

_ “Yeah! Indeed!” Mantle, his sidekick, was quick to agree.  _

_ “It’s a shame I couldn’t kill Kohaku herself.” The blond grumbled around a mouthful of meat that he had taken a bite out of after giving his victory speech. “She’s just too well-prepared.” _

_ “She’s way too strong for a woman,” Mantle added, never losing that wide smile of his even as he took a bite of his meat. “It  _ must _ be sorcery.” _

_ Magma scoffed at those words, full of confidence as he replied, “But now that I’ve gotten rid of her powerful sorcerer ally, Kohaku is just another girl.” _

_ The menacing grin on his face was terrifying as blue eyes glowed with mad glee in the burning flames of the campfire as he went on, “Though, if she apologizes tearfully, I wouldn’t mind making her mine, along with Ruri.” _

_ “How lucky the siblings are to have the privilege of belonging to Magma!” His underling cried out, his praises feeding the blond’s already huge egotism. _

‘This is really bad news!’  _ Suika, who was eavesdropping, trembled in fear as mad laughter from the other two echoed throughout the surrounding area.  _

**_[End of flashback]_ **

“Magma did it? That bastard!” Chrome let out a growl while punching his right palm, wishing that he could beat up the real thing instead. 

“I see…” Kohaku muttered, her brows furrowing as understanding began to dawn on her. “Asagiri Gen made those flowers disappear before their eyes. From Magma’s perspective, Gen is the rumoured outsider sorcerer that I brought with me.”

“So, Magma stabbed Gen because he mistook him for Senku?” The brunette turned to the blonde with an unsure look. 

Instead of answering the other teen, Kohaku let out an offending scoff as she replied, “It’s a real insult that Magma believes my strength is due to sorcery, though.”

Chrome, who was just asking for it, bluntly said, “Well, you have the raw power of an actual gorilla. So, you’re a legit gorilla.”

You sweatdropped at the sight of Kohaku whipping out her weapons and glared down at the other teen with daggered eyes – blue orbs glinting with murder. 

“I’m sorry,” The brunette, who had prostrated himself at the blonde’s feet, quickly apologized. 

“So, why is Magma looking for an opportunity to kill you, Kohaku?” Senku asked, a brow raised in curiosity as he glanced over to the said person. 

Kohaku didn’t reply to the scientist straightaway as she turned to meet his gaze, hesitating slightly before answering, “Probably…no,  _ definitely _ because of…the Grand Bout.”

“The Grant Bout?” You wondered with a tilt of your head. “What’s that?”

Seeing the confused look on your face, the blonde started to explain what the Grand bout was about. “Once every generation, the village holds a large martial arts battle called the Grand Bout.”

“Ah, so that’s what that arena-looking thing on the far island is for,” Senku commented. 

Kohaku nodded her head in agreement and continued, “Several months ago, on the day that the village priestess, Ruri-nee, came of age…The winner of the Grand Bout was to wed her and become the village elder. That’s also how my father became the current village elder.”

**_[Flashback]_ **

_ “The winner is Magma.” The referee of the Grand Bout, Jasper, announced as he gestured towards said blonde who had won another round of fighting.  _

_ “On to the finals!” One of the villagers exclaimed, his eyes bright with excitement.  _

_ “Damn, Magma’s unstoppable.” Another villager added.  _

_ “Yeah!” _

_ Within the crowd stood Chrome, who was watching the tournament, with a disdain frown on his face at the winner’s announcement when a sudden coughing sound caught his attention. He turned his head towards the source of the noise and brown eyes widened when he saw who it was.  _

_ Without a moment to waste, he grabbed a small jar made of clay filled with medicinal plants that he had collected and rushed over to Ruri, his voice filled with concern for the blonde. “Hey, are you all right, Ruri?” _

_ However, he was stopped by Turquoise, one of the priestess’ guards. “Hold it. Don’t just approach the priestess so casually.” _

_ The brunette gritted his teeth in frustration, but knew he couldn’t do anything and instead, glanced up at Ruri with a worried frown.  _

_ Meanwhile, a pair of blue eyes glimmered with worry as Kohaku stared at her precious sister who had been sick for the longest time. Then, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw something or rather, someone.  _

_ It was none other than Magma who was oblivious to the blonde’s stare since he was busy staring at her sister instead. Smirking, he said, “Ruri, huh? Well, she’s got a year at most. I don’t want to take care of her. If she’d just go ahead and croak, I could take the elder’s seat without all the trouble. Maybe I ought to make it look like she drowned herself out of despair in her sickness.”  _

_ No one but Kohaku heard those words and the second she heard them, she was overcome by rage and without hesitating, she leapt at Magma who fell onto his back in surprise and was pinned to the ground in an instant – Kohaku’s shield mere inches away from his eyes.  _

_ With no choice and out of fear, Magma conceded. “Mercy!”  _

_ “The winner of the Grand Bout is Kohaku.” _

_ Just like that, Kohaku was declared the winner of this year’s Grand Bout.  _

_ Still seething with anger, the blonde growled in her opponent’s face. “Magma, I cannot allow a man like you to have Ruri-nee.” _

‘Kohaku…This kid…’ _ Magma thought to himself, trembling with unrestrained fury beneath said blonde.  _ ‘She joined the Grand Bout just to stop me!’

_ “Wait, what happens now?” Suika asked while confusion aroused from the spectators, their whispers filling the air as they wondered what would happen now. “The rules say that the winner is supposed to marry Ruri-nee, so…” _

_ Meanwhile, the only person to be excited by this outcome was none other than Ginro whose mind was in the gutter as he mumbled to himself, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “Ruri-chan and Kohaku-chan are going to get married?! It’s forbidden love!” _

_ “Ouchie!” He cried out as some sense was smack into him, literally by Turquoise who gave him a disapproved look.  _

_ “Obviously not.” She scolded the young teen before letting out a small sigh as she turned her attention back to the scene in front of her. “Jeez, what do we do now? Who’s going to marry Ruri-sama?”  _

**_[End of flashback]_ **

Laughing, Senku asked, “Is that why your old man, the elder, disowned you?”

“Senku!” You exclaimed, frowning in disapproval at your friend’s bluntness. “Don’t be so rude.”

However, Kohaku wasn’t offended as she replied, looking a bit embarrassed. “No…well, that was the last straw, but…”

“Kohaku has caused a ton of trouble ever since she was little.” Chrome supplied helpfully. 

You blinked once, then twice and said, “Well, I’m not surprised since this is Kohaku that we’re talking about here. Anything is a possibility when it comes to her.”

The girl in question shrugged at your statement as though saying you weren’t wrong before returning to the topic at hand, her lips twisting into a grimace. “Of course, the Grand Bout is set to be redone. It’s going to be held next month.”

“Are you saying that Magma killed Gen to win the Grand Bout?” Chrome asked as the graveness of the situation dawned upon him. 

“Eh?!” Suika let out a panicked cry. “So, Gen really  _ is  _ dead?!”

“No, he’s not dead.” You were quick to reassure the girl with a firm pat to the top of her watermelon mask when a thought occurred to you, causing the corners of your lips to curl into a frown. “Then, wouldn’t it be really bad news if a guy like Magma became the elder?”

“Yeah,” Senku confirmed, a thoughtful expression on his face as he contemplated the possible outcome. “If Magma were to become the elder, it might be hard to even get the medicine to Ruri.”

“It’s also an opportunity,” Kohaku added, blue eyes filled with determination as she went on to explain. “If a man from the Kingdom of Science defeats Magma and wins the Grand Bout, marries Ruri-nee, and becomes the elder, it’ll solve everything.”

“When you put it that way, it does sound like the most logical thing to do.” You remarked, brows furrowing in consideration. “If this plan works and the chosen person becomes the next elder, rounding up citizens for the Kingdom of Science and giving Ruri the cure-all medicine would be easy.”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and with that, the plan was set into motion but first, the Kingdom of Science needed people who could actually fight other than Kohaku, and you just knew who to ask.

* * *

Standing at their posts on either side of the village’s main bridge were none other than Ginro and Kinro, the latter narrowed his eyes in suspicion as all four of you, minus Suika who had to stay back at the science shed to look after Gen, approached them with Kohaku leading at the front. 

Before either of them could ask what the group wanted, the blonde spoke up, jumping straight to the point as she asked, “Kinro, Ginro, there’s something I want to ask you. How do you view Ruri-nee? Would you like to take her as your wife?”

The brothers were taken aback by the unexpected and sudden question and stared at Kohaku with wide, incredulous eyes, their jaws dropping open in shock. 

However, out of the two, Ginro was quick to recover while his brother was still reeling with shock as he started to consider Kohaku’s question. 

“I-I’ve never even thought about it.” The blonde wore a thoughtful expression which slowly morphed into one of eagerness the longer he mulled over the idea of taking Ruri on as his wife. “But Ruri-chan—Ruri-sama is pretty, and I mean…her face is almost the same as yours, but…But she’s busty— I mean, she’s really graceful and cute, and she has big, round eyes…”

_ ‘It’s that all he can care about when it comes to choosing a girl that he likes – the looks?  _ You folded your arms in annoyance and glared at the blond, feeling offended by his words even though they weren’t about you.  _ ‘Such shallow thinking! Us, girls are so much more than just our outer appearances!’ _

Next to you, Senku let out a chuckle when he saw the look of disdain on your face – the corners of his lips curled into an amused smirk. 

Meanwhile, Kinro shared the same sentiment and his tone was one of chastisement as he turned to his younger brother with a disapproving frown. “All you’ve talked about is about her face. Do you only ever look at a girl’s appearance? You’re utterly shallow, Ginro.”

“C-Come on, I said she’s bus—she’s bu—she’s graceful!” Ginro protested.

The brunette stared at the lost cause also known as his younger brother and after deciding he wasn’t worth his time; he turned to Kohaku and gave his answer. “My answer is simple. The gatekeeper doesn’t ask questions. Rules are rules.”

You let out a small sigh of disappointment, knowing that there was no convincing of this guy. However, you spoke too soon for Kinro hadn’t finished talking yet. 

His next few words took everyone by surprise as he went on, “But listening to one murmur to themselves is not against the rules. I already understand that Senku and (Name) aren’t evil. You can skip the explanation, as usual. What’s your objective?”

There was a moment of silence as no one said anything after that. Then, in a voice no louder than a whisper, Kohaku spoke up. “I want to save my sister’s life.”

Seeing the look of helplessness in those blue eyes and hearing the plea in her tone which was so unlike the blonde, Kinro and Ginro felt their hearts aching for her and understanding the need to do anything just to protect a sibling, the brothers finally agreed to help the Kingdom of Science. 

“All right.”

“You don’t need to explain further.”

**Time skipped**

The day was slowly coming to an end as the sun sunk lower over the horizon, making the sky an artist’s palette of oranges and blues left to swirl into each other. The clearing where the science shed stood was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and clashing of weapons as the trio of warriors trained for the upcoming Grand Bout. 

“Too shallow!” Kohaku shouted as she swung her wrapped daggers at the brothers, her arms moving so fast that her weapons became a blur in front of their eyes. “Do you really think you can defeat Magma like that?”

Kinro and Ginro were taken aback by the stamina and strength of the blonde, with the latter running away in fear as he cried out, “Let’s take a break!”

“No!” The other teen scolded, even though it was clear that he was trying to escape as well. “Finish three more sets first!”

“Hold it!” Kohaku called after the pair but let out a sigh when it was of no use. Then, from her peripheral vision, she noticed a forlorn-looking Chrome leaning against the entrance of the science shed as he stared out into the distance, lost in his thoughts.

“Chrome.” She called out to the brunette who snapped out of it at the sound of his name, his gaze travelling down towards the blonde who was staring up at him with a serious frown. “I’d really prefer to train you more than anyone. But Kinro and Ginro are the only ones who have a chance of defeating Magma. I’m sorry.”

Just then, another voice piped up and it was none other than Senku who had just returned from collecting more firewood with the help of Suika. 

“Yo, Chrome, she’s being all ‘sorry, sorry!’ about our plan to get Kinro or Ginro to marry Ruri because you’re in love with her.” He exclaimed in a loud voice, the corners of his lips curling into a teasing smirk. 

Sweat dropping at his blunt remark, Kohaku commented, “You’re as brutal as ever.”

Meanwhile, you let out a snot snort at the scientist’s words and mumbled to yourself as you tended to Gen, whose condition you had been keeping an eye on in the shed, changing and reapplying the medicinal paste to his wounds. “And you’re one to talk, Senku.”

Your words caught Chrome’s attention and he turned to look at you, his head cocked to one side in curiosity. Feeling his eyes on you, you lifted your head and when you met his questioning gaze, you flushed a light pink in embarrassment over your comment being heard by the teen. 

“It’s nothing.” You waved his silent question away and returned to your task at hand. “Just pretended that I didn’t say anything.”

The brunette’s brows disappeared into his hairline at your clear dismissal but didn’t push for more and instead went back to his brooding, his gaze staring out into the distance once more – looking but not really seeing. 

The next few minutes were spent in a comfortable silence between the two of you as Chrome continued to fret over whatever was on his mind and you finished up with the mentalist who was still sleeping through his injuries. 

After checking your work that was to your satisfaction, you turned your focus onto your troubling friend and couldn’t help but ask, your voice filled with concern for the teen. “Chrome, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” He answered with his back facing you. 

_ ‘Yea, he’s definitely not okay,’ _ You noted with furrowed brows, rolling the bottom of your lips in between your teeth as you tried to figure out what was eating away at the younger’s mind.  _ ‘Is he upset with the fact that either Ginro or Kinro is going to marry Ruri instead of him like what Senku said or is there more to it?’ _

“Chrome,” You called the brunette’s name in a soft tone and this time, he did turn to look at you with a questioning gaze. 

You hesitated slightly, unsure if you should say what was on your mind in case you might push things too far but decided to just go for it in the end. 

Taking in a deep breath to calm your nerves, you asked, “Chrome, if you don’t feel comfortable giving me an answer, it’s fine. I won’t push you for one, but I’m worried about you. Ever since we asked for Ginro’s and Kinro’s help, you’ve been very quiet which is unlike of you considering how you’re always driving Senku up the wall with your endless questions and fascination about science.”

The last part of your sentence drew a small smile out of the otherwise blank expression on the male’s face but just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. Chrome didn’t reply straight away and the longer he remained quiet, you began to panic, thinking that you might have crossed the line. 

However, much to your relief, the brunette let out a deep sigh and said, “Did you know that I spent most of my childhood days with Ruri?”

You shook your head but said nothing and Chrome went on, his face sporting a faraway look in his eyes as he reminisced his past with the priestess; his lips curled into a nostalgic smile. “We would spend our days frolicking and chasing each other through meadows filled with beautiful white flowers that seemed to go on forever and those days would always be the highlight of my week. I knew Ruri was sick, but I didn’t know the extent of it. Yet, it didn’t matter because I was a kid and all I cared about being free without a single worry for anything else. Then…”

He trailed off, the grin that was growing wider with each word as he thought about the good time he had with Ruri, the girl he had loved for the longest time, fell and was replaced with a grimace. 

Seeing the despondent look on his face, you got up from where you seated next to Gen’s bed and moved over to Chrome’s side, settling down next to him before placing a hand on his shoulder; squeezing gently while saying softly, “Chrome, you don’t have to say if you don’t want to.”

The said person shook his head at your words, took in a deep breath to calm himself and returned your act of comfort with a weak smile. “No, it’s fine. It’s just that I haven’t really told anyone about this before.”

You nodded your head in understanding and squeezed his shoulder once more, Chrome taking as his cue to continue with his story.

“Things were going great until it took for the worst. One day, as we were out in the meadow, Ruri started coughing and didn’t stop for quite some time, unlike previous times. Concerned, I asked if it was the same thing, thinking it was just her sickness acting up on that day; only to learn the truth that it wasn’t the case, that Ruri wasn’t going to get any better. I was shocked when she told me she wasn’t going to live to become an adult and I became scared because I was going to lose a close one and I didn’t want that. So, with a determination of a kid who was just learning about the world around him, I made a bold promise to Ruri that I would take care of her problem, that I would do whatever I could to cure her someday and ever since then, I had been searching non-stopped.”

After hearing all that, you had a newfound respect for Chrome; filled with a sense of awe over his selfless desire to help someone, his determination in finding a cure for Ruri and most importantly, his dedication to keeping a promise he made after all these years. 

And you told him so. 

“Chrome, that’s really admirable of you. It’s not every day that people keep their promises, let alone one from years ago. Yet, you beat the odds. Not only do you keep your words, but you also went the extra mile to make sure you do. Sure, the road to finding a cure for Ruri isn’t easy but you didn’t give up and because of that, look at where you are now – you have a remedy, and you aren’t alone in this so cheer up, we’ll definitely cure Ruri!” 

Instead of being encouraged by what you said like you had hope, the brown-haired teen looked even more disheartened and you frowned when you noticed the tight clench of his fists, his eyes fixated on the ground. 

Confused, you gently nudged your friend and softly asked, “Chrome, what’s really on your mind?”

The brunette lifted his gaze off from the floor and gave a wry smile, saying, “I just want to help Ruri, that’s all I ask for.”

(E/C) eyes softened with understanding and you thought to yourself,  _ ‘Oh Chrome, all this time, you aren’t disappointed that you won’t be able to train and participate in the Grand Bout but rather, you are upset that you aren’t able to help Ruri like how the rest are doing.’  _

“Chrome, remember what did Senku and I told you about our world when we met for the first time?.” You smiled when the teen nodded his head, his brows furrowing with confusion as to where you were going with this. 

Chuckling at the puzzled expression on his face, you went on. “Science takes a lot of time and effort because it involves a lot of researching and experimenting, a lot of trial and error before achieving the result that you want. Sometimes, it can take up to years for a scientist to discover something new or succeed in an experiment. Even back in my world where technologies and science are advanced and ahead of its time, it still requires a lot of time and energy. That is something that I was taught in, but there’s a knowledge that’s far more precious than you can’t find in books, only with experience.”

“And what’s that?” Chrome asked, brown eyes glittering with curiosity.

With a small smile, you replied, “While many spend years studying science, not all make it to the end of their journey, and do you know why?”

The teen shook his head and smiled knowingly, you explained, “The reason is simple. Science requires not only your time and energy but also patience and perseverance which is something I learn from Senku.”

Looking out of the science shed and towards where the said scientist was, the corners of your lips curling into a fond smile when you saw the green-haired teen watching Suika with a soft look on his face as she played with her dog, unaware of your gaze on him. 

“The truth is, Senku hadn’t always been this knowledgeable about science. In fact, he was just like you and I, only knowing what’s being taught to him at that time but because he dreamed of wanting to go to space, he fell in love with science and started to read many books on it as well as trying many different experiments and inventions. But most importantly, he didn’t give up even when he couldn’t understand things or when he failed in an experiment. People made fun of him for being that weird kid who loves science so much, but he didn’t let that stop him from achieving his dream. And because of that, he became who he is today – someone who is going to save humanity with science.”

Tearing your gaze away from Senku, you turned to Chrome and pointed at him, saying, “And you, Chrome, you’re just like him. You didn’t stop looking for a cure for Ruri all these years even though I’m sure many have told you there isn’t one, but you didn’t care. Furthermore, you’re just as keen as Senku is to learn all you can about science and even though I say you drive him up the wall with your endless question, I can say without a doubt that he welcomes your interest of wanting to learn as much as you can.”

Your face softened when you noticed the stars in his eyes as he hung onto every word that you said. Smiling fondly, you reached an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a side hug. “You’re brilliant, Chrome and with both yours and Senku’s genius minds put together, the two of you will do wonders that no mankind has seen before. Why not start now by putting your mind into helping Senku with making the cure for Ruri?”

There was a hint of doubt on the brunette’s face as he asked, “Do you really think I can save Ruri?”

With a knowing grin, you replied, “I’m ten billion percent sure you will.”

Chrome hesitated as he mulled over your words but as he thought back to the promise that he made with Ruri as kids and when he remembered a pair of blue eyes looking up at him in awe when he told her that he would cure her someday, he knew what he had to do. 

“Yeah,” The teen turned to you and your eyes shone with happiness at the determined look that your friend was sporting as he exclaimed, “I’m totally cool with that.”

Then, he jumped out of the science shed and approached both Kohaku and Senku who were staring at the brunette with curious looks as he came to a stop in front of them. 

“I can ask for nothing more than the cure-all science drug to save Ruri so she can live a good life.” He told the other two, the corners of his lips lifting into a confident smirk and declared, “I’m the genius sciencer, after all.”

Upon hearing that, Senku let out an amused chuckle as he smiled his trademark grin in response, “Job-changing from a sorcerer to a sciencer, huh?”

“Yeah.” Chrome agreed, following after the scientist as both of them walked away. “I’m not calling myself a sorcerer anymore.”

“Let’s let the battle team deal with the Grand Bout while we, the science team, focus on making the sulfa drug,” Senku said as he glanced at the brunette over his shoulders. 

Grinning, Chrome exclaimed in an excited voice. “Heck yeah!”

Meanwhile, you had left the shed and joined Kohaku, the two of you watching as the pair walked off into the sunset. Turning to you, the blonde’s lips were curled into a small smile as she said, “Thank you.”

(E/C) met blue as you replied, “It’s nothing much. Chrome just needed a little push in the right direction, that’s all.”

With that, you slid your gaze over to the duo in the fading distance and thought to yourself,  _ ‘These two are going to change the world and I’m glad I get to be a part of it.’  _

* * *

That night, all of you were gathered in the science shed and tending to Gen when Kohaku made an announcement out of the blue. 

“I plan on participating in the Grand Bout.” The blonde mumbled, her eyes fixated on the ground as she hugged her knees to her chest. “The Kingdom of Science team with Kinro, Ginro and me, will do whatever it takes to stop Magma’s victory.”

“Yeah,” Chrome was quick to agree. 

Suddenly, harsh breathing filled the room and you glanced down at the mentalist with worried eyes while Chrome asked, his voice tight with concern. “Hey, Gen, are you all right?”

“His recovery is going to take a long time at this rate,” You frowned as you raked your eyes over said teen’s battered body, brows furrowing deeper at the sight of his wounds.

Brown orbs snapped up to meet yours as he said, “Which means…”

“Yeah,” Senku, who had been quiet all this while, spoke up. “We have a short time limit before Tsukasa comes to kill me.”

All heads turned to the scientist with troubled expressions written on their faces and unbeknownst to them, Gen decided to open his eyes at that moment, having heard everything. 

**Time skipped**

“I’m still sleepy!” 

“Wake up, Ginro. You  _ just _ agreed to do morning training until we rotate on our guard duty.”

The following morning, Chrome woke up to the sound of the brothers’ arrival at the science shed for their morning training with Kohaku. Letting out a tired yawn, he rubbed the remaining sleep out of his eyes before sweeping his gaze across the room when he noticed something or rather,  _ someone _ was amiss. 

“Oh, no!” The brunette yelled at the top of his lungs, startling both Ginro and Kinro as their heads snapped towards the science shed. “Gen’s vanished!”

You, who was still snoozing peacefully away in one corner, was shaken awake by a panicking Chrome shouting into your ears. “(Name)! Wake up! WAKE UP!”

“I’m up, I’m up!” (E/C) eyes snapped open and you shot up to the brunette still shaking you by the shoulders. “Chrome, stop shaking me!”

Seeing that you were awake, said person stopped shaking the life out of you and hurried out of the shed with you following right on his heels. 

“Yeah, I’m sure he went back to Tsukasa.” Senku assumed, his face one of nonchalant as he picked at his ear. 

“But why would he sneak out like that?” Chrome asked, stopping in his mid-way in descending down the ladder. 

“That bad bastard better not intend to tell Tsukasa that Senku and (Name) are alive,” Kohaku growled, her hands clenching into tight fists. 

“This is bad, Senku, (Name).” Chrome frowned as he stared at the scientist with furrowed brows. “We have to go after him.”

**_[30 minutes ago]_ **

_ Meanwhile, the missing person in question had finally arrived at the cave where Tsukasa’s empire was located. Gen paused to catch his breath after running all the way back here despite his injuries before raising his head to meet a pair of glinting brown eyes, his lips stretched into a menacing grin.  _

_ “Tsukasa-chan! I found a primitive village. I got in a fight with them and ended up just slightly injured. And Senku-chan was…” _

**_[Back to present]_ **

“We have to catch the bat bastard, quick,” Kohaku exclaimed before running off into the direction of the forest where Gen had fled to. 

However, she didn’t make it very far when she was stopped by Senku who stepped in front of her, blocking off her path. “Hold it!”

Everyone watched with bated breath and wide eyes at the crashing sound as the scientist fell on his back, pinned to the ground by none other than Kohaku. 

“Why are you stopping me, Senku?” The blonde demanded as she glared at the green-haired teen, her lips curled into an angry frown. “We have to catch the bat bastard!”

Then, all of a sudden, Senku let out a smirk and Kohaku was taken aback by the sight of it. Red orbs were glinting with mischief as he replied, “We can leave him be.”

Upon hearing that, the teen furrowed her brows in confusion but didn’t say anything and instead, she raised her height, both arms folded across her chest and stared at the scientist with questioning eyes, waiting for an explanation. 

Dusting himself off as he got up from the ground, Senku began to explain. “If Gen really didn’t have a millimeter of interest in science, he never would have cooperated to begin with. He’d already made up his mind on whose side he was on when I made electricity. But as a superficial man, he has his superficial ways of saving face.”

After hearing that, Kohaku had nothing much to say and instead, she responded with a small shrug. “Men are such a pain in the ass, in any era.”

_ “This is making me thirsty for a drink. Like, say, cola.” _

The corners of your lips stretched into a knowing smile as you flashbacked to the day where both you and Senku met Gen for the first time which then, led to the conversation that happened last night between the three of you while everyone else was sound asleep. 

_ “Can you make it in this stone world, Senku-chan?” Gen whispered through his pain; his lips curled into a sad smile. “Can you make a bottle of cola?” _

_ For a heartbeat or two, there was nothing but silence except for the sound of the mentalist’s laboured breath as Senku mulled over the other’s question while you remained seated next to his bed and stared up at your green-haired friend with curiosity.  _

_ Then, Senku’s lips lifted into a small smile as he glanced at Gen over his shoulders with soft, red eyes and said, “Yeah, I can. Even if no one else can.” _

_ Hearing that, your face split into a wide grin as you piped in, (e/c) eyes shining with determination. “And I’ll do whatever I can to help Senku!” _

_ For the first time since Gen woke up in this stone world, he showed a true smile – one that was filled with simple joy.  _

**_[Gen]_ **

_ “Senku-chan and (Name)-chan…were gone without a trace.” The bi-coloured teen finished his sentence.  _

_ Snapping his finger, he grinned playfully. “They’re dead, without a doubt.” _

**_[Back to present]_ **

“So, Gen’s joining the Kingdom of Science?” Chrome questioned; brown eyes wide with anticipation.

Grinning, you replied, “Yeah. I’m sure he’ll wander back like nothing happened.”

Kohaku let out a scoff but even she was smiling from ear to ear as she said, “Looks like the first battle between the Tsukasa Empire and the Kingdom of Science, the fight for Asagiri Gen, ends in victory for the Kingdom of Science.”

“Gen is a good person after all!” Suika exclaimed while Chrome pumped an excited fist into the air, grinning, “Yeah!”

‘It’s the world’s flimsiest alliance, bound by a single bottle of cola.’ You thought to yourself, giggling with amusement at how absurd the whole thing was. 

Nonetheless, you were happy that Gen decided to join Senku’s side in the end. 

Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest, on a random boulder sat Gen with a small smirk on his lips, his face tilted to the morning sun as he said to himself. “Man, this really isn’t worth it. All for a single bottle of cola…I hope it’s super well-cooled, at least.”

* * *

“All right, damn it.” Senku sighed in defeat before glancing over to you. “I’ll have to apply science to make Gen a ridiculously chilled bottle of cola in time for when he gets back but I can’t do that without the help of your amazing cooking skills, (Name).”

Hearing how your friend was doubting his ability, your lips curled into a disapproved frown as you let out a small sound of protest. “Senku! Don’t underestimate yourself! I’m sure you can make the cola without even my help. In fact, you can probably do it with your eyes closed!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Senku argued, red eyes narrowing in irritation. “If it wasn’t for your cooking skills, we won’t have been able to require manpower to make the iron!”

“T-That’s true!” You faltered when you realized the scientist did have a point, but you weren’t one to back down that easily. “B-But if it wasn’t for your smart thinking, we won’t have thought of using food as a means to get the villagers’ help! All I did was just carry out your plan and besides, I didn’t do the cooking alone, you helped too!”

Senku stared at you with an exasperated expression, exclaiming, “Are you even hearing yourself? Your reasonings are not making any sense!”

You opened your mouth, ready to fight back when the green-haired teen let out a deep sigh and rubbed his head where he could feel an oncoming headache, saying, “You know what, instead of wasting our time with this senseless argument, let’s just get to work.”

“My logic makes sense, thank you very much.” You grumbled, crossing your arms as the bottom of your lips stuck out into a pout but at Senku’s pointed glare, you pasted a wide smile on your face and saluted, “Yes, sir! Right away, sir!”

Senku rolled his eyes at your childish antics, but even he couldn’t help the small, fond smile forming on his lips. 


	12. Clear World

**Chapter 11 - Clear World**

“Your strike is too shallow!” Kohaku shouted as she easily dodged and blocked both the brothers’ attacks. “One of us must win the Grand Bout so that we can give Ruri-nee the cure-all medicine!” 

Meanwhile, the rest of you were watching the trio practise from the science when Senku spoke up with a small smirk. “All right, so while Gen’s out deceiving Tsukasa, let’s get started on that cure-all drug.”

“Yeah!” Both you and Chrome yelled in unison, wide grins filled with determination spreading across your faces. 

“What are we making with science next?” The brunette questioned as he turned to the green-haired scientist, brown eyes sparkling with eagerness. 

The corners of Senku’s lips turned into a small, serious frown and said, “There’s a material that’s just as important for building a civilization as iron. The first man-made material in history, synthesized using science…Glass.”

“What’s that?” A confused Chrome asked, “Aren’t we gonna make all sorts of drugs now that we have electricity and all that?” 

“Yeah, we are,” Senku answered, but provided no further explanation. 

Furrowing your brows, you mused over your friend’s words, (e/c) orbs lighting up with understanding. “If we’re making the cure-all drugs, we’ll be dealing with chemicals and when it comes to that, glass is the best material for that.” 

“Well said, my lab assistant.” Senku grinned as he lifted a hand, ruffling the top of your head with a small, fond smile. 

Two pink spots appeared on your cheeks as you beamed at the scientist’s praise. Senku let out an amused chuckle at your reaction before facing Chrome to explain. As (Name) pointed out, clay pots are no longer going to cut it for our happy chemistry experiments if we want to make the cure-all sulfa drug. Glass can stand up to just about any chemical. Glass is the foundation of chemistry. Ten billion percent easy to process! Yet it’s tough as hell and durable! You can even see through it, which means you can observe the chemicals inside.”

“Really? Oh, man.” Chrome breathed out in awe, hooked by what Senku had just said.

The corners of his lips stretched into a wide smirk as he turned to look at Suika, who had been quiet all this time and continued, “To top it all off, once we have glass, we might finally get a chance to yank that headpiece off of Great Detective Suika and see her true face.”

Before anyone could say or do anything, Senku reached over and pulled the watermelon mask off the young girl, startling both you and Chrome. 

“Wait, Senku!” Kohaku, with her keen vision of 11.0, saw everything from where she was still training with the brothers and immediately rushed over to the group, snatching the mask away from the scientist. “Suika doesn’t want her face to be seen!” 

Senku simply let out a grin and said, “Take a good look.”

The three of you glanced down at Suika and were surprised by the innocent appearance with big, sparkling brown eyes and a cute bowl haircut that greeted all of you. 

“Wow, Suika! You’re perfectly adorable!” Kohaku gushed with heart-filled eyes, completely enthralled by the younger blonde’s overall cute look. 

At that moment, when Suika’s head turned in everyone’s direction, her face scrunched up and the innocent expression was replaced with one of like an old person; causing both Kohaku’s and Chrome’s eyes to bulge in horrified shock. 

“What the hell?!” Both of them exclaimed in unison, taken aback by the sudden change. 

Meanwhile, you sucked in your breath when realization dawned upon you. Turning to Senku, you whispered, “Senku, do you think that Suika…?”

Said scientist nodded his head but before he could say anything, Suika spoke up. “I have the fuzzy sickness in my eyes. Everything looks fuzzy to me, so I end up looking like this when I try really hard to see, and it’s embarrassing.”

Then, she popped back on her watermelon mask and all sadness was gone as she happily continued, “But with this mask, for some reason, it’s a little easier to see!”

“Yeah, that’s the pinhole effect.” Senku replied, causing the young girl to glance up at him while he explained, “If you look through an object through a small hole, the light passing through it narrows, bringing it into focus.”

“What does glass have to do with Suika’s fuzzy sickness?” Chrome asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion. 

“It has ten billion percent to do with it!” Senku exclaimed, startling the brunette. 

Bending down to Suika’s height, you placed both hands on her shoulders and gave her an encouraging smile. “Listen up, Suika. You’re nearsighted as hell. That’s not a disease. It’s not even a defect. Isn’t that right, Senku?”

You glanced up at the scientist who nodded his head in agreement and replied in a serious tone. “(Name)’s right. In a technological civilization, it doesn’t even bother anyone. We have eyes of science, made from glass. They’re called glasses, and they solve everything.”

“Science users can make eyes?” Suika whispered, hope began to fill her as she tightened her hands into fists. “That’s amazing.”

“Yeah,” Senku agreed. 

“If I could, I’d love to see the beauty of the world, too. Even if it’s just once.” The young blonde replied with tears streaming down her face beneath her watermelon. “I want to meet you guys without the fuzziness. I want to meet the real you, just once.”

The wistfulness in her voice tugged at your heartstrings and you couldn’t help but pulled Suika into your arms, tucking her head beneath your chin as you whispered fiercely into her ear. “You will, Suika, you will. When that happens, I promise I’ll show you everything that the world has to offer.”

You weren’t the only one who was moved by the watermelon girl’s speech as Chrome declared, “All right. Let’s make this glass stuff!”

“Yeah,” Kohaku clenched her hands in agreement, turning to Senku. “What do we need to gather, Senku?”

With that, Operation: Clear World had started. 

* * *

“Glass is made mostly from quartz sand,” Senku explained while the five of you trekked through the forest. “I didn’t see any in the Chrome Collection, actually.”

“I’m not going to collect _sand_.” Said brunette grumbled, irked by the scientist’s words.

Grinning at the teen’s annoyance, Senku continued, “I did see a hint that’ll lead us to quartz sand, though.”

Chrome glanced back at the green-haired teen with a quizzed look but said nothing as he continued to lead everyone up the mountain. Not long after, all of you arrived at the top where a large cliff stood. 

“This was the place. This is where I found this translucent rock as a kid,” The brown-haired teen declared as he glanced up at the cliff while holding said rock. 

“That little tidbit is worth a ton.” Senku began as he broke away from the group, grabbed the stone pickaxe from the basket slung over his body and started to chip away at a random spot on the ground while everyone else watched with curious gazes. “That translucent rock, that crystal, tends to be found in areas of decayed granite, like this place.” 

Once the top layer of the ground was gone to reveal grey sands, the scientist grabbed a handful of it and said, “And all this sand here is the raw material for glass: quartz sand.”

The rest of you let out sounds of excitement and without being told, all of you got to work straight away. 

“Yo, the white grains are falling out like crazy!” Chrome exclaimed with a big grin while picking away at the ground. 

Next to him, Suika commented. “This is fun!”

“We’ll get loads here,” Kohaku said as she picked away at a steady speed. 

“All this rate, we should be able to gather enough to make glass.” You piped up, brows furrowing in concentration. 

“Try to gather the see-through ones.” Senku instructed and the four of you let out a chorus “Yes, sir!”

Just like this, the rest of the afternoon was spent collecting the quartz sand needed to make glass. 

**Time skipped**

The sun was starting to set by the time all five of you returned to the science shed – baskets filled with quartz sand to the brim – and got started on the next step. 

“We grind down all the quartz sand into fine grains,” Senku explained and Kohaku did as told, gently rolling a cylindrical stone over said sand. 

Once that was done, all the sands were gathered into a large clay pot and brought over to the furnace where Senku did the next step. “Then we mix it with a bunch of other stuff and melt it in the stove.”

“What else do we need?” Chrome asked as he watched the scientist. 

“We already have everything we need.” Senku simply answered. “Thanks to all of our efforts so far. Ten percent calcium carbonate, or sea shells. Twenty percent cooked seaweed. We used all this stuff when we made soap.”

**Time skipped**

“Now…” Senku paused to catch his breath, feeling exhausted after spending another sleepless night in the name of science while Suika fanned him with a leave. 

“We just need to throw in some lead,” When he was no longer on the verge of death, Senku grabbed the pot filled with melted lead and poured it into a circular mould for the hot liquid to cool down before revealing the finished product. “And we have super see-through lens glass.”

Chrome exclaimed in awe, staring at the object in the scientist’s hand with wide eyes; both Suika and Kohaku mirroring his expression. 

“It’s shiny and see-through, like ice!” Suika commented while Kohaku added, “It’s like a gem.”

Seeing their reactions, you couldn’t help but let out a small smile; this feeling never getting old. 

Next, Senku led the group over to a small table where on top of it sat a large bamboo held by two wooden x-sticks with a long string coiled around it. 

“That’s a weird-looking tool.” Suika was quick to point out. 

Chuckling at her comment, the green-haired teen explained. “We’d die if we tried to polish glass by hand.”

Upon hearing that, Chrome made his way over to the science shed, stopping mid-way in his climb up the ladder to glanced over his shoulder at Senku with an excited smile. “We can use that super tough corundum for polishing.”

The green-haired scientist replied with a grin. “Glass has a Mohs hardness of about 6. Corundum’s is 9.”

“Polishing will be a piece of cake!” The brunette gave a thumbs up. 

“And the strongest is diamond, with a hardness of 10.” Senku continued with his lecture on rocks and their levels of hardness while Chrome’s eyes lit up with excitement, hanging onto every word. 

“Diamond is nuts! That’s insane!”

“Here they go again with their stone talk,” Kohaku said in a blunt tone as she stared at the other two with an unimpressed look on her face. “I can’t keep up with them.”

You simply let out an amused giggle, never finding a day in this new world a dull moment. 

* * *

As Kohaku continued to train and prepare the brothers for the Grand Bout, the rest of you were working on the glass lens for Suika. After a few rounds of eye test, the lens was ready for use as Senku popped them into the eyeholes of the watermelon mask. 

“It’s done,” The scientist announced as he picked up the mask and handed it over to Suika. “Why don’t you give it a try, Suika?”

However, just as the young girl was going to accept her watermelon mask, you stepped in; causing both of them to turn you – Senku with a raised brow and Suika with a confused frown. 

Smiling, you bend down to the blonde’s height and place a hand on top of her head, stroking her hair as you looked into those round, hopeful brown eyes staring up at you. “Suika, remember how I say that I’ll show you everything that the world has to offer?”

Said girl nodded her head and the grin on your face widened as you continued, “Well, I thought for your first time, we should make the moment special and memorable? What do you say?”

Suika hesitated for a second before nodding her head. At her agreement, you beamed and stretched a hand out towards her. “I know just the perfect place.”

The blonde placed her smaller palm into yours and for the first time since you had known her, you felt her age and realized how young she was. (E/C) eyes softened with fondness, your gaze never leaving hers as you curled your fingers over hers and squeezed tightly, never letting go. 

“Let’s go,” You said as you pulled her towards the direction of the location that you had in mind, followed by Chrome and Senku who was still holding the mask. “I just know the right place for this.”

**Time skipped**

After walking for a bit, you finally arrived at the place. Coming to a halt, you glanced down at Suika and asked in a soft voice, “Suika, can you see what’s in front of you?”

“They’re just sunflowers,” The young girl replied as she squinted her eyes to get a better look. “It’s not like I can’t see at all, you know.”

Without a single word, you took the watermelon mask from Senku and placed it over the blonde’s head before taking a step back to give her some space. 

Brown eyes widened as the sunflower came to life in front of her, the blurriness that she had always known disappearing as clarity filled her vision. Meanwhile, the smile on your face grew larger as you watched Suika take a few steps ahead and turned to lift her head towards the three of you. 

At the clear sight of her friends, tears began to fill Suika’s eyes. Overwhelmed, she turned her gaze back towards the field of sunflowers and at that moment, for the very first time in her entire life, she saw the world for what it was; thanks to the power of science. 

The four of you, together with Suika’s pet dog, decided to stay at the sunflower field and enjoyed the peaceful moment till the sun was sitting low on the horizon, painting the sky in a blend of orange, pink and purple. 

“You’re all surprisingly good-looking, Senku, Chrome and (Name).” Suika happily commented. 

“What do you mean, ‘surprisingly’? Jeez.” The brunette sweatdropped at the young girl’s blunt remark while you giggled, your cheeks dusted a light pink in shyness at the compliment. 

Then, out of nowhere, Senku let out a chuckle and all heads turned towards him with surprised looks on your faces. 

“Next, we’re finally making glass instruments.” The green-haired scientist exclaimed; his cheeks flushed with exhilaration as the corners of his lips curled into a sinister smirk. “Now that Suika’s labor potential has leveled up super high, we’re going to put together a full chemistry set.”

“Don’t call her ‘labor potential’!” Chrome yelled. “Just let it end as a feel-good story!”

Both you and Suika exchanged glances with each other and couldn’t help but laughed, causing the brown-haired teen to whip his head towards the two of you while demanding, “What are the two of you laughing about?!”

What a great way to end this moment and you wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. 

* * *

“It’s time for our fun glasswork class!” Senku declared, grinning like a madman. 

“Let’s get working!” Chrome exclaimed as he poured a jar of black stones into a large pot sitting over a large fire while the scientist kept stirring the contents with a long stick. “We’re throwing these black rocks in, right?”

“I’m going to keep them coming!” Suika declared as she ran over with another jar filled to the brim with said rocks and placed it on the ground next to the other jars. 

“You’ve gotten even more nimble, Suika.” You noted, patting the top of the young girl’s watermelon mask as she gazed up with an excited grin. 

“I don’t mess up anymore, now that everything isn’t fuzzy.” She explained before turning her attention to the large pot when she noticed white bubbles forming over the black rocks. “There’s white bubbles coming out.”

“This is the foam that’s created when you burn obsidian,” Senku explained as he picked up a black rock from one of the jars and tossed it into the large pot with the rest of its brethren. 

“Oh,” You let out a sound of understanding. “So that’s what these black rocks are. I was wondering what they could be.”

Once there was enough foam to the green-haired teen’s liking, he directed Chrome to coat a layer of it over one of the furnaces. “We’re using the foam as insulation to make a glassblowing furnace. Then we make an iron straw, then we blow up the glass with air, and that’s it.”

When all those were done, the brunette did as Senku instructed and blew into the iron rod. However, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. No matter how many times Chrome or Senku tried, each attempt was a failure with the glass coming out all lumpy and weirdly shaped. 

Senku let out an exasperated sigh, his lips curled into a wry grin. “Hey, it was our first try. When I first started making clay pots, it took months before they looked decent.”

“Months?!” Chrome yelled in disbelief. “We don’t have that much time!”

“Chrome has a point,” You added, a small frown on your face. 

“I’m worried about Ruri-nee’s health, too,” Kohaku murmured; a worried expression painted across her face. 

“I’m not a glass craftsman,” Senku replied with a small shrug. “Trial and error is all we’ve got.”

“A craftsman?” Chrome mumbled as a thought crossed his mind. 

Then, without so much as an explanation, the brunette turned on his heels and headed towards the direction of the village. Both you and Senku exchanged raised brows, confused and curious by the other’s action but said nothing and instead, chose to follow after him with the knowledge that an answer would be given in due time. 

All of you, except for Chrome, was waiting by the entrance of the main bridge leading into the village when the sound of footsteps could be heard. All heads turned towards the sound and in the distance, you could see the brown-haired teen returning with an old man bound in ropes. 

“Hey, cut it out, Chrome!” The old man pleaded but his words fell on deaf ears as said person continued to drag the poor fellow by the ropes towards where the group was waiting. 

_‘Who the hell is that old man?’_ You thought to yourself, raising a brow at the peculiar sight. 

Once both of them reached the group, Chrome let go of the rope and clasped his hands together, begging the old man. “Come on, Old Man Kaseki! We could really use your skills!”

“Is this how you ask for favors? By tying them up for your kinky rope play?” The old man, now known as Kaseki, demanded angrily. “I’m not lending a single hand to your shady sorcery!”

Chrome let out a hopeless sigh, saying, “See? He just won’t come and help us.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean you should tie him up.” You scolded the brunette before turning to the old man with a small bow and apologized. “I’m really sorry on behalf of Chrome. You don’t deserve to be treated like this.”

Kaseki let out an irritated scoff, but his glare softened slightly at your apology. 

“Grandpa Kaseki…” Suika spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention to the young girl as she walked up to said old man with a small clay jar held in both hands. “I forget to return your lacquer.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Kaseki replied. 

After hearing that, Senku gestured to the shield attached to Kohaku’s back and asked, “Old man, were you the one who made that fantastic, season shield? With no iron tools and hardly any dyes to speak of?”

The old man nodded his head. “It was a gift from when Kohaku’s father, Kokuyo, won in the Grand Bout. I went all-out when I made it. Gosh, that really takes me back…”

There was a warm smile on Kohaku’s face as she recalled the memory of her father giving the shield to her at a young age. The action didn’t go unnoticed by you and your lips curled into a small grin, thinking to yourself that the blonde must have a wonderful childhood while growing up. 

**Time skipped**

“The construction is ridiculously advanced for the technology, so I had a feeling there must be a really good craftsman,” Senku explained as he led Kaseki back to the science shed by the rope while everyone else followed behind. “But I never thought it’d be such a worn-out old fart.”

“Senku!” You hissed; the corners of your lips curled into a disapproved frown as you reprimanded your friend. “Don’t call Grandpa that. It’s rude!”

Ignoring you, Senku turned to the old man with glimmering eyes and asked, “Is that awesome suspension bridge your handiwork, too?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Kaseki answered without missing a beat. “And you had the gall to pull the planks out! I’m never going to help you…”

He trailed off when he noticed the failed glassware on the ground from the corners of his eyes and was taken aback by the sight of it. “Wh-What’s this translucent stonework here?”

Unbeknownst to the old man, both Chrome and Senku were cackling in the background as an evil aura surrounded them; causing Suika to tremble in fear and you let out a small sigh, knowing that the duo was going to be up to no good again. 

“You don’t have to help us if you don’t want to.” The green-haired scientist picked up the iron rod used for glassblowing and dipped one end into the furnace where the remaining melted glass sat while declaring with his trademark smirk. “Just sit there and watch. You’re going to love this, Kaseki. This is going to be ten billion percent exhilarating for you.”

 _‘I see. Heat makes it pliable and soft. It’s like blubber.’_ Said old man thought to himself, remaining silent as he observed Chrome blowing into the iron rod; only for his mouth to widen in surprise when the melted glass began to expand. _‘What ease of molding!’_

“Crap, it’s too thick again.” Chrome frowned but didn’t stop what he was doing and began to spin the iron rod. 

It was obvious that the brunette was getting the technique all wrong and it was beginning to drive the experienced craftsman up the wall as he hopped up and down in frustration. “What are you doing?! Darn it!”

Meanwhile, Senku was grinning from ear to ear at the old man’s reaction before going at it himself too. This time around, Kaseki’s full attention was on the scientist, his eyes fixated on the iron rod. _‘He’s not spinning it steadily. He’s never going to make a good vessel like that.’_

Meanwhile, you and Suika were watching the entire thing from the sideline. Feeling confused by what was going on, Suika glanced up at you and asked, “(Name), what’s happening?”

Chuckling at her puzzled expression, you explained to the young girl. “They’re doing this to provoke Grandpa Kaseki since he refused to help them and for someone with years of experience under their belt, watching an amateur doing a poor job is torturing to his pride as a craftsman.”

Just as you said that, Senku gave a knowing smirk and began to provoke the old man. “There’s no way a man who’s spent his whole life as a maker is going to stay put in front of something as drooltastic as glassblowing. Am I right, Old Man Kaseki?”

That was the final blow and Kaseki couldn’t take the torture anymore as he gave in to the temptation. 

“This is unbearable,” The old man spoke through gritted teeth and using all his strength, he broke free from his rope prison to reveal a muscular body. “You got me good, damn it!”

“Eh?” Both Chrome and Senku were stupefied while you blinked in surprise, not expecting any of that to happen. 

Snatching the iron rod out of Chrome’s hand, Kaseki exclaimed with determination. “Let me handle this.”

“Are you serious with those muscles?” Senku asked, dumbfounded while Chrome let out yells of disbelieving awe. 

You, on the other hand, let out an impressive whistle. “Woah, now that wasn’t what I was expecting.”

The craftsman got to work as he dipped one end of the iron rod into the furnace before twirling the rod a few times and bringing the other end to his mouth where he began to blow while keeping a steady hand at spinning. Next, he grabbed a pair of tweezers and pressed it against the glass to make a flat bottom by rolling the rod back and forth on a thick branch. After that, he placed the rod back into the furnace to soften the glass once more so he could attach another iron rod to the flat bottom. 

“Suika, water.” He called out to the young girl who brought over a bamboo cup of water. 

“Got it!” Suika exclaimed and poured the water over the end of the glass where the second rod was attached to which Kaseki broke off with a hit of the tweezers. 

Then, he placed the glass back into the furnace again to heat it up once before taking it back out to form the neck. 

Chrome, who was watching from the side, couldn’t help but exclaimed in awe as he watched Kaseki work his magic. “Oh, man! Oh, damn! Isn’t this your first time seeing glass?”

Smirking, Senku replied, “He’s got far more years of craftwork experience.”

The craftsman let out a satisfied chuckle at his finished handiwork, his voice filled with pride as he explained, “I’ve been a craftsman for fifty years, believe it or not. I’m kind of a big deal.”

“Amazing…” You let out a breathless sound of awe, unable to feel anything other than respect for the old man. 

There was a wistful look in those red eyes as Senku commented, “There are people like you in every age. Dudes with true talent, who’ve spent their whole lives with their heads down, dedicated to their work.”

Upon hearing that, your lips stretched into a small, knowing smile as your gaze slid over to the green-haired scientist, thinking to yourself. _‘You’re the same, Senku. After all, it takes one to know one.’_

* * *

The following day, thanks to Kaseki and his expertise in craftsmanship, the Kingdom of Science obtained a science lab filled with various types of glassware where Senku could work on his chemicals. 

“Sweet!” Everyone let out loud cheers, their faces painted with wide grins. 

You could feel the huge smile on your face threatening to break your cheeks as (e/c) eyes sparkled with excitement when you noticed the nostalgic look that the green-haired scientist was sporting. 

Your face softened, knowing that the science lab must have reminded him of a memory from his childhood days where he received all sorts of science equipment from his father – that same feeling of joy rushing through him now. 

Stepping up next to Senku, you slipped your smaller hand into his larger one and intertwined your fingers with his before giving it a tight squeeze. Your action caused the teen to snap out of his trip down memory lane as his gaze shifted over to meet yours, raising a questioning brow. 

You simply leaned into his side and whispered so that it was only just between both of you. “You did it, Senku. I’m so proud of you.”

The corners of his lips curled into a soft smile, red eyes softening with fondness as he tightened his hold on your hand and said, “No, you and I did it because, without you, I won’t be where I am today. You’re everything to me.”

At those words, butterflies erupted in your chest as your heart skipped a beat while you felt your cheeks heating up. You couldn’t stop smiling as you nodded your head in agreement, (e/c) eyes glittering with adoration in the morning sun. 

“Mn, we did it, Senku.”

Senku said nothing at first, his eyes lingered on your face as though searching for something within the depths of those (e/c) orbs before turning his head back to the science lab and said, “Yes, we did it.”

The moment between the two of you lasted for a few more moments before it was interrupted by Chrome who mistook the wistful expression on the scientist’s face for one of sadness. 

“Hey, what’s the matter, Senku?” The brunette complained, unsatisfied with the lack of response from said person. “We finally have a lab now! Show some joy!”

“Yeah, sure. Yippee.” Senku sighed and let out of your hand before turning to Chrome with a smirk. “We’re just at the dawn of chemistry. Things are starting to look pretty fancy here in our Kingdom of Science, chock full of attractions ten billion times more fun than Tsukasa Land.” 

After that, the group split up and everyone returned to what they were doing before, except for you and Senku who remained at the science lab. 

“It’s kind of spectacular, isn’t it?” Chrome grinned, walking over to join both you and Senku who were observing the various activities taking place at the same time. “This Kingdom of Science is starting to heat up.”

Chuckling, Senku said, “We’ve only made the bare essentials. We wouldn’t get anywhere if we were missing any one of these.”

Glancing over to both of you, the corners of his lips turned into a serious frown as the brown-haired teen asked, “Was the technology even crazier before the world collapsed?”

“Yeah,” You replied with a small smile, thinking back to all the technology that ever existed in the world. “It took two million years to get there. And we’re going to catch up and run past it.”

Upon hearing that, the grin on Chrome’s face widened as brown eyes sparkled with exhilaration. 

Senku let out an amused chuckle and exchanged a knowing smirk with you as he added, “(Name)’s right and our first step is the cure-all sulfa drug.”

**Timed skipped**

“Senku!”

At the sound of his name being called, the scientist stopped what he was doing and glanced up towards where you were running towards the science lab with a large grin stretched across your face, (e/c) eyes glimmering with eagerness while waving the glassware that you were holding in the air to get the male’s attention. 

You skidded to a halt in front of Senku and presented your hard work to your friend, the huge smile threatening to break your cheeks in half as you exclaimed proudly, “Look! I managed to make a perfect glass container by myself on my first attempt!” 

Senku let out an amused chuckle at your excitement in wanting to show off your work to him, the corners of his lips stretched into a fond grin. Lifting a hand, he gently ruffled the top of your head and said, “As expected of my lab assistant, getting things right on your first try. Good job!”

Immediately, you felt your heartbeat stuttered for a few moments before picking up speed and racing at a hundred miles per hour while your cheeks heated up – as it always does whenever the scientist sprung his affection on you without so much of a warning and from out of nowhere. 

Still blushing, you cast your gaze to the side, unable to take the searing pair of red eyes directed at you and mumbled, “Well, it’s not like I did this all by myself. I’ve got a bit of help from Grandpa Kaseki since I’m a newbie at glassblowing.”

“Of course,” Senku agreed with a smirk. “But it’s still amazing that you got it right on the first attempt considering you’ve no experience before this.”

Your face suddenly felt so much hotter than before – unused to the scientist heaping praise after praise at you – so much that you had to cover it with both your hands while letting out a whine of complaint. “You need to stop doing this to me every single damn time. My heart can only take so much before I die from a heart attack.”

Senku, on the other hand, was confused by your action and words; not understanding a single thing that you just said. However, before he questioned you about it, both of you were interrupted by a sudden small cough. 

Lifting your face from where they were hidden behind your hands, both you and Senku turned your heads towards the sound where you were greeted by Kinro and Ginro who were trembling with unconcealed excitement. 

“Huh?” Senku let out a dumbfounded sound after hearing the brothers’ reasoning on why the scientist should dye the tips of their spears in gold and silver. 

The two of you exchanged looks of doubt with each other before the green-haired scientist glanced over to Kohaku, who came over after realizing the other two weren’t at the training grounds and asked in a low voice so that the conversation was just between the three of you. “I don’t know anything about fighting. Is it trust that gold and silver spear will help them beat Magma?”

“I’m pretty sure they’re just using that as an excuse to get you to give them what they want.” You added bluntly, unimpressed by how obvious said idiots were being. 

Kohaku gave a slight nod of agreement as she said, “Senku, to borrow your words, they ten billion percent just want gold and silver spears.”

Despite being ignored and rejected many times over, Ginro refused to give up on getting a spear made in his name. Entering the lab, the blonde’s gaze swept over the shelves of glassware as he continued to try and convinced Senku. “I mean, now that you have all this…glass, was it? And this amazing laboratory…I thought maybe you could make a silver spear, you know. And then taking down Magma will be easy-peasy.”

Just as he finished speaking, Senku let out an amused chuckle and his lips stretched into a gleeful smirk as he played along with Ginro. “That’s right. Now that we have glassware, we’re going to have to suck it up and go get the most difficult material to obtain.”

Everyone was confused by what the scientist said and watched with puzzled gazes as the teen walked away from the group. “All right. Let’s break in this brand new laboratory by making a silver spear.”

Upon hearing that, Kinro let out a loud cheer of celebration for things were finally going his way while Ginro’s mouth dropped wide open in disbelief at how he wasn’t getting a gold spear at all. 

Grinning with glee, the blonde turned to his older brother who was still reeling with shock and began to tease him. “I’m sorry, Kinro. I have a way of becoming everyone’s favorite.”

“You aren’t the slightest bit my favorite, idiot.” Senku let out a scoff before glancing over his shoulders at the blonde, his lips curled into a sharp smirk that promised danger as he warned him. “This could literally cost you your life, Ginro.”

His words caused Ginro to snap out of his happiness as he gave the green-haired teen a look of confusion. 

A dark look fell over the scientist’s face as he continued to speak in rhymes instead of providing a proper explanation as to what he had in mind. “We’re off on a great adventure to find chemistry’s greatest treasure. You’ll be putting your life on the line in a maximum danger area. You could seriously die there in an instant.”

After hearing that, all colours drained from Ginro's face as green eyes widened in fear and he wondered what he had just gotten himself into. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Instagram [@rainbendchan](https://www.instagram.com/rainbendchan/)  
> Come and say hi!


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